


Alien

by Soulstoned



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Pregnancy, Alien Biology, Fluff, Galra Biology, Humor, M/M, Minor Allura/Lance (Voltron), Mpreg, Not Season/Series 08 Compliant, Post-Canon, Switching, Versatile Keith, Versatile Shiro, mild body horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-07-20 14:54:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16139585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulstoned/pseuds/Soulstoned
Summary: Keith gets the surprise of his life when he learns how Galra reproduce just a little too late. Keith has never felt more like an alien. Now he and Shiro have to get ready to raise their new addition aboard the Atlas, with a little help from their friends. Set one year after the end of the series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I started this fic before season 8 was released, so nothing from season 8 has been taken into consideration when writing it, although it does still take place in canonverse. I have sort of an "imaginary season 8" in mind when writing it, and while I think most of the changes are pretty self-explanatory, I'll list them in the end notes to hopefully clear up any confusion that remains. Everything up to the end of season 7 matches canon, it only diverges after that.

Keith wakes up to the sound of his alarm clock blaring. He has no need to stick to a strict schedule now that it has been nearly a year since the war ended. There should finally be time to rest and breathe, but captaining the Atlas still keeps Shiro busy. 

The ship is now primarily an exploration vessel, reaching new worlds on behalf of the Voltron coalition. Keith and the black lion live on board the ship to help with defense and stay close to Shiro. 

Shiro shifts to turn off the alarm and press a kiss to Keith’s forehead then he pushes the button on his artificial shoulder to power up his floating arm. Keith burrows further into the blankets as Shiro begins his morning routine. 

He's been tired lately, like he's on the edge of a sickness that he just can't quite get over. At the sound of the shower shutting off Keith swings his legs over the side of the bed and pauses for a moment as a wave of nausea hits. “Great, this again,” he thinks to himself as he fights back the urge to vomit. 

The door to the bathroom opens and Keith pushes past Shiro and bows over the toilet. He hoped he could hold it back until after Shiro left for work, but last night’s dinner has other plans. 

Keith continues to retch while Shiro kneels down next to him, holding his hair back with his floating arm and rubbing soft circles on his back with his left hand. “This has been happening for weeks now,” says Shiro “every time you think you've gotten over it, it just comes right back. I think it's time to go to the infirmary and get checked out.” 

Keith wants to protest, say that it is just some space virus and all he needs to do is wait for it to work its way out of his system, but instead he settles on a compromise. “I don't have any real plans today, how about I go back to bed, and if I'm still sick when I wake up I'll go see the doctor.” 

Shiro looks unconvinced, but he bends down and kisses Keith on the cheek. “Okay, get some rest, I'll be back in a few hours to check on you."

Keith brushes his teeth and climbs back in bed as Shiro exits the captain’s suite. Living on board the Atlas is a lot like living on the castle, but with a lot more people. When not responding to distress calls or visiting various planets on behalf of the coalition, they have a lot of down time. 

All of the paladins have a room on board the Atlas, but only Keith is a permanent resident. Allura is Altea’s representative on the Voltron coalition council, and Hunk is the representative for Earth. 

Pidge has been leading a science expedition on Olkarion, helping the Earth’s best scientists integrate Olkari, Galra, and Altean tech with Earth tech. 

Lance thought he would be happy to settle down on earth once the war was over, but quickly found himself getting bored. Now he spends his time split between wherever Allura is, checking in on existing allies, and riding aboard the Atlas. His relative lack of other responsibilities and faster lion mean he's usually the first to arrive when problems do occur, although that has been rare since Haggar’s defeat. Keith can count on one hand the number of times Voltron has been needed in the past year and the most recent was nearly five months ago when they took out the last known druid encampment on a small planet in the outer reaches of the old empire. Space has actually gotten pretty peaceful, at least relatively speaking.

Keith isn’t sure how long he drifted off, but he doesn't feel much better upon waking for the second time. He grudgingly puts on his clothes and walks down the hall toward the infirmary. He's sure it's nothing, but getting checked out will make Shiro feel better, and he might even get lucky enough for it to be something they have an easy cure for so he can finally be done with this after several weeks of on and off misery.

When he enters the infirmary the receptionist informs him that the human doctor is working on a difficult case, something about one of the engineers getting a little too friendly with a new prototype that apparently still has some bugs to work out. Keith shakes his head and chooses not to press for details. He is pretty sure whatever is wrong is simple enough to get picked up by the basic scanners, so he asks to see whoever is available.

After a few minutes, Tala peeks her head into the waiting room and asks him to come on back. Tala is an Altean doctor. She was one of the first Alteans rescued from Haggar’s mechs. She's still learning about caring for species other than Alteans after spending most of her life on an isolated planet with only occasional visits from Lotor’s crew of half-galra, and then a couple years kept prisoner by Haggar and the Galra who were loyal to her. Human physiology isn't exactly her area of expertise, but all Keith really needs is someone to flip the scanner on and tell him he has a virus and to just wait it out so he can tell Shiro he got checked out and go back to what he was doing. Besides, nobody is an expert on human/galra hybrids. As far as Keith knows he's still the only one.

Keith steps into the exam room. It's a small room with an exam table in the middle and what looks like one of the healing pods from the castle in the corner. The engineers still haven't quite managed to reverse-engineer a working healing pod from what was left of the one in the cargo hold of the black lion when it crashed to earth, but the current pods are a good tool for getting vital signs and finding anomalies that would have been fixed by the old pods. 

Tala asks Keith a few basic questions about his medical history and current illness before asking him to step into the pod. He can hear a slight whooshing sound as the scanners sweep over his body. Looking out through the glass he can see Tala staring at the monitor with a concerned look on her face, and then the whooshing starts again as the scan is redone. This happens a couple more times before the door to the pod opens back up and Tala leads him over to the exam table.

At this point Keith is getting antsy, the scanner must have picked up something bad for Tala to run it multiple times. “I saw in your chart that you're half human, half galra, is that correct?” she asks.  
“Yes, that's correct” he replies. 

“The scanner didn't pick up an illness exactly, but there was an anomaly in your vital signs, did you know you have two heartbeats?” She asks, with her brows furrowed like she isn't entirely sure what to do with that information. 

“I only had one last time, and every time before that,” says Keith, who is beginning to think he may have been better off waiting for the other doctor. 

“I may have an idea. Stay here, I'll be right back,” says Tala as she exits the exam room.

Keith feels his pulse in his wrist, it feels pretty normal, although he isn't really sure what a pulse from two hearts would feel like. Tala re-enters the room holding a book on galra biology and a metal wand of some sort. “Lie back, I need to take a look at something.” 

Keith does as he is told. Tala holds the metal wand over his lower abdomen and a hologram comes up. Keith isn't entirely sure what he's looking at, but it's moving. Maybe a space parasite and not a space virus? That would explain why the illness had stuck around so long.

Tala seems pleased with her find. “Congratulations Keith, but you really should’ve come in sooner,” she says with a smile. “You and the captain are going to be such great dads.”

His mind starts racing and going over all the many reasons this has to be a misunderstanding. He opens his mouth to say as much but all that comes out is “WHAT!?”

Tala opens the biology textbook she brought with her to a page that was already marked. “It says here that it's unusual, but not unheard of for a half-galra male to conceive. Galra conceive through a merging of genetic material from a partner and their own inner quintessence. The sex of the receptive partner is irrelevant. For half-galra males, conception is unlikely but possible, although a surgical delivery is usually required.”

Keith has no words, he just looks back at the hologram. Looking closer, he can see that it does sort of have a humanoid shape. The doctor might not be insane. That still doesn't help him figure out what he's going to do, or how he's going to tell Shiro. He thought one of the perks of being a gay man was that there is no risk of unplanned pregnancy. So much for that. 

“It looks like you've almost already made it through your first trimester, so your morning sickness should start to ease up soon. I'll give you some vitamins before you leave, make sure you take one every day. You have about 6 months left to go, I'll need to see you again a month from today. I'll go ahead and schedule your appointment and…” She is still talking, but Keith isn't listening anymore. His brain is too busy shutting down from panic. 

He absently places a hand where the hologram wand had been, he doesn't feel any different, still flat as ever, maybe a little firmer? Or that could just be his imagination. 

What is he going to tell Shiro? “Oh hey Shiro, turns out I'm even more of an alien than I thought, apparently I have a womb and it now contains our alien spawn, oh, and by the way I m a huge idiot for not seeing a doctor sooner, because I am already a third of the way through this and could start showing any day now. Soon everybody will know!” that doesn't seem right. 

Tala hands him the textbook and a bottle of vitamins as he prepares to leave the infirmary. She also pops a chip out of the hologram wand “In case you want to show the captain. You can just insert this in any holo reader,” she says.

He pockets the chip and the vitamins and starts making his way down the hallway to the captain’s suite that he shares with Shiro with the textbook under his arm. He feels a slight shift in the ship as he gets close to his room. This isn't an unusual occurrence, the Atlas is known for rearranging, with or without being asked. It's not hard to remember that the ship contains some degree of sentience. 

Keith had planned to take a couple hours to read the relevant parts of the textbook and get his own thoughts in order before Shiro returns to their room from the bridge of the ship, but his plans are foiled when he enters their room and sees an open door off to the side that wasn't there before. 

He walks through the doorway and sees Shiro standing there looking around the room. The only thing inside is a crib that appears to have been relocated from one of the unused guest quarters aboard the ship. Shiro is clearly amused by this as he pats the wall of the ship fondly. 

Shiro turns around and he must see the look of fear on Keith’s face because he quickly moves to reassure him “Don’t worry,” he says “the ship did this all by herself. I didn't ask her to. I'm not in any hurry for this, if we ever end up adopting a kid at all." 

At this point Keith is tempted to just throw the book at Shiro and run. He never expected to be in this position, and he's sure Shiro didn't either. There's no plan in place for how to deal with this situation. Until a few minutes ago, it was never even a thought. 

Shiro moves toward Keith and wraps him up in a hug. “So how did your visit to the infirmary go, are you contagious?”

“I’m not contagious, I need you to sit down,” says Keith, who is trying very hard to keep his cool as the urge to panic rises up inside him. At this, Shiro begins to look worried and just grips Keith harder. Keith’s expression softens “I’m not dying Shiro, but you do need to sit down for this.”

Shiro steps out of the nursery and sits on the edge of their bed. Keith hesitates for a moment, unsure of where to start and not knowing if he can trust his voice, then pulls open the book and sits next to him. “I promise I had no idea this could happen before today, but the Atlas put that nursery there for a reason. She must have been paying attention to my appointment.”

“What do you mean?” asks Shiro, brows knitting together in a mix of concern and confusion. “I mean I'm pregnant,” says Keith, the words feeling awkward and foreign on his tongue. 

Shiro’s jaw drops and he is at a loss for words. He's just blinking and staring mouth agape at Keith, eyes flitting between his face and his stomach. Finally he manages to stammer out “...w what, how?”

Keith isn't entirely sure of the exact mechanics himself, that's why he was hoping for a chance to read the book before having this conversation. “It's a galra thing. Apparently we breed by mixing genetic material from a partner with our own inner quintessence or something like that, and you've been giving me plenty of genetic material to work with."

This seems to snap Shiro back to reality and he pulls Keith to his side and wraps his arms around him. “You know, until recently I never thought I would have kids. I wasn't supposed to live much past 30, and it wouldn't be fair to them. Then I was healthy, but I was fighting a war, so I never really had the time to think about it. Once I realized I had the option I kinda hoped we would one day. I thought we would wait a few more years and the kid would be adopted, but I stopped trying to plan my life somewhere around the time I got abducted by aliens.”

“This is still so weird to me, I don't know if I can do it,” says Keith as he buries his face into Shiro’s chest. 

“You don't have to go through with this if you don't want to. I love you and I'll support you either way,” says Shiro pulling Keith into an even tighter embrace. 

Keith leans into it and just lets Shiro hold him for a while before responding. “I’m doing it. I just need some time to get used to the idea,” he says. 

Shiro’s mouth curls into a smile “This can be our secret for now, I really do love you.” 

“I love you too.”

Keith remembers the holo chip “Would you like to see?” he asks, separating his limbs from Shiro’s to pull the chip from his pocket. 

“Yes, of course, I want to see everything,” replies Shiro. 

Keith finds a holo reader on a shelf across the room and brings it back to the bed. He inserts the chip and the hologram from earlier pops up. Keith still can't quite make sense of what he's looking at, but Shiro is in awe. He reaches out and places his hand on Keith’s stomach. “I can't believe this is real,” he says. 

“There's nothing to feel yet,” grumbles Keith, resisting the urge to shy away from the touch. 

“We have about three weeks until the anniversary celebration for defeating Haggar. That should be the next time we see everyone together. I think it would be easier to tell everyone at the same time,” says Shiro, still not taking his eyes off the hologram. 

“I agree, and I doubt we’ll be able to keep this a secret much longer than that anyway, it's already been three months, but I would really rather tell them privately than bring it up at the party and let the whole world know.” says Keith. 

“How about breakfast the day after the party? Everyone should still be on the ship, or at least on the planet. We can ask them to meet up with us to catch up and spring the news then,” says Shiro. 

“Sounds like a plan,” says Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changes in this story from how things actually went down in season 8:
> 
> 1) Everyone who died in season 8 is still alive, except for Haggar, she is super dead.  
> 2) The lions are still around, although not a big part of the story in peace time.  
> 3) The Atlas is no longer under the command of the galaxy garrison, instead it works directly under the Voltron Coalition. Most of the crew on board are former rebels and earth resistance fighters. The majority of the Galaxy Garrison characters including Iverson, Curtis, and the MFE pilots are on a different ship that exists solely on behalf of Earth. Veronica left the Garrison and stayed on the Atlas.  
> 4) Cloning was a bigger plot point, there were other facilities out there and other people were also cloned (just a mention or two here and there, but it was a big part of the "imaginary season 8" I am drawing from when filling in that time)  
> 5) The existence of "New Daibazaal" was a lucky guess, although in this story it was a previously uninhabited planet that the Galra are choosing to settle on now that the war is over and they have to leave their colonies on other planets.  
> 6) The majority of the Alteans have settled on Earth, but there are a few living on the Atlas. The Alteans in the mechs were more like batteries and being used against their will.  
> 7) Keith and Shiro got together in the immediate aftermath of Haggar's defeat and their relationship moved pretty fast. Lance and Allura got together around the same time, but their relationship is moving much slower, complicated by Alteans working on a different time scale and the amount of time they spend on different planets.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith tells Krolia about the baby.

The last three weeks have passed quickly. Keith finds himself in the Atlas gym pummeling a punching bag. He misses sparring and fighting the gladiator bots. The punching bag just isn't the same. There are only two hours until the Atlas docks on earth and Keith’s stress levels are through the roof. He would give anything for a good sparring match to calm him down right now. 

Keeping this secret is harder than he expected it to be. Coran has been eyeing him suspiciously every time he visits the bridge to spend time with Shiro. Keith has taken to wearing loose shirts and layers to hide his small but now undeniable bump, but Shiro’s robot arm works just as much based on instinct and subconscious thought as it does based on conscious thought and more than once he has had to push the offending limb away when it started caressing his bump in a public area of the ship. It won't be long before everyone is able to figure it out even without being told. 

Keith looks across the gym to where Shiro is wiping down the weight bench and getting ready to leave. Seeing Shiro with his tank top clinging to his body and his face glistening with sweat from his work out gives Keith another idea for how to blow off some steam. 

The gym’s showers are empty aside from Shiro and Keith. It's still pretty early in the morning and most of the crew is probably making last minute preparations for their short stay on earth. Keith spots Shiro’s shower stall and quickly strips off his own clothes to join him. 

Shiro turns around at the sound of the stall door opening and raises an eyebrow. “Here? You can't wait for me to finish my shower and then drag me back to our room?” he asks with a laugh.

“Maybe I just want to conserve water” replies Keith, stepping forward and pressing Shiro against the wall of the small shower stall. Shiro grins down at him and wraps his arm around Keith’s lower back drawing him in tighter. Keith runs both hands across Shiro chest, feeling each dip and scar. Keith can already feel Shiro hardening against his hip when Shiro leans down and captures his mouth in a kiss. Keith begins to shift against Shiro, desperate for friction. 

Shiro breaks the kiss and whispers into Keith’s ear “You’re such a bad influence.” 

“I learned from the best,” replies Keith. 

Keith brings his hand down between them and wraps it around both of their cocks. He smiles as he hears Shiro stifle a moan at the contact. For a moment he wishes he had dragged him back to their room. There's nothing he would rather do than pound Shiro into the mattress, but this will have to do for now. Shiro reclaims Keith’s mouth in a sloppy kiss as Keith begins to stroke them both. 

They stay there like that, moving against each other, hands and mouths exploring each other’s bodies, struggling to stay quiet and listen for signs that someone else has entered the locker room. Shiro comes with a muffled moan and the sight of him is enough to push Keith over the edge. They stand there for a moment huddled together catching their breath as the water rinses off their sweat and come. “So where did that come from?” asks Shiro. “Not that I’m complaining,” he adds. 

“I needed to blow off some steam and my usual methods are off the table for now,” says Keith with a frown. 

“Well I appreciate it, you can blow off some steam with me any time,” Shiro says with a laugh. 

They finish washing up and step out of the shower to dry off. They have a busy day ahead so they start to get dressed when Keith comes to the horrifying realization that the jeans he brought with him to change into won't button. They fit just fine a week ago. Keith pulls his shirt on and lays across the bench to try to force his pants to button, but it's no use. 

Shiro watches in amusement for a moment before sitting down on the bench next to him and rubbing his bump. “You knew this was bound to happen eventually.” he laughs. 

“This isn't funny Shiro, we haven't even told anyone yet, and what am I supposed to wear tonight? I don't think my suit is any bigger than my jeans."

It's at that moment Coran walks into the locker room. Shiro and Keith spring apart as if burned and Keith pulls his gym bag into his lap in an attempt to hide his growing bump. Coran’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he looks at the two of them trying but failing to look casual. “I've known for weeks. You don't have to talk about it until you're ready, but you haven't exactly been subtle,” he says. 

Keith’s shoulders slump “Is it that obvious?” he asks. 

“Not to everyone, but you should probably tell Krolia as soon as you see her today if you don't want her to figure it out. I imagine she would prefer to be told, and I for one wouldn’t want to be on her bad side.” says Coran. 

Keith glances at Shiro and sees that he's gone white as a ghost, Keith isn't feeling much more confident about that particular conversation. 

Sensing their obvious discomfort, Coran switches gears, “Anyway, I was sent to find Shiro to inform him that his help is required on the bridge. We're just over an hour out from Earth, so it's time to begin preparations for docking.” 

“Thank you, Coran. I'll be right there.”

Shiro bends down and kisses Keith on the cheek. “Good luck with your mom today. I’m probably going to be busy until time for the celebration tonight, but I’ll see you there."

Coran moves to follow Shiro out the door but pauses in the doorway and turns back to Keith. “Don't worry about your clothes, number four. I believe I may have a solution to that problem, and your secret is safe with me.” 

Keith thanks Coran as he leaves, then sighs and changes back into his gym shorts for the walk back to his room. He had really hoped to keep this quiet for a couple more days at least, but looking in the mirror it's obvious that isn't going to work. There's no way he can hide this from his mother. 

Coran is right, it'll be better to tell her now than to have her figure it out on her own. They already have plans to go out for lunch together once they both land on earth, Keith hopes that his mother is planning to come alone and not drag Kolivan along, the thought of telling his mentor he is pregnant seems even scarier than telling his mother.

\---------------

Luckily Krolia arrives alone to the burger joint just off garrison property. Keith is already sitting at a booth with his food when she enters. He waves her over and stands to greet her with a hug. Krolia pulls back from the hug looking puzzled. “Keith, have you stopped training? I know things are peaceful now, but that could change in an instant. You don't want to get too out of shape.” 

“I haven't stopped, I have had to take a step back and rework some of my drills, but I’m still training,” Keith says, looking down at his hands which are clasped together on the table. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about today, before we see everyone else.” 

“Should I be worried?” Krolia asks. 

“I’m not sick, but you're probably going to worry anyway, at least until your grandchild arrives,” he mumbles the last part, face going red as he continues to stare down at his hands, but Krolia understands. 

Her eyes widen as she reaches across the table and grabs his hands. “I didn't think this would be possible, I thought you had taken after your human side in every way. This is dangerous.” 

“I know. I've read all the books I could find on the subject, but I’m doing this. It’s going to be hard, but I can handle it.” Keith says. 

“I know you can. You’re strong, just take care of yourself and don't push yourself too hard. You weren't built for this,” says Krolia.

“I didn't even know this was possible until three weeks ago, this whole thing has been one hell of an adjustment,” replies Keith. 

“I thought you knew, you told me not long after we met that Kolivan had taught you everything there was to know about being Galra,” Krolia seems alarmed at the fact that until recently her 23 year old son didn't know where babies come from. 

“I meant history and culture, not biology. I never even considered that the biology would be that different, or that the differences might apply to me," Keith says, looking embarrassed. It probably is something he should’ve considered. Who finds out they're half alien and doesn't at least ask a few basic biology questions at some point? 

“How far along are you?” asks Krolia. 

“Fifteen weeks, due in late December” says Keith. 

“How is Shiro taking the news, why isn't he here?” she asks.

“Shiro is excited, to the point where he's made it very difficult to keep this a secret. We only have a few days on Earth before we launch again and he has a lot of work to do while we’re here, so he couldn't join us today.” Keith says, intentionally neglecting to mention the look of terror on Shiro’s face earlier when he realized they were going to have to tell Krolia. Shiro owes him one for this.

“Have you told Shiro about the risks? I've known two half Galra blades who got pregnant. Both of them had serious difficulties in the later months,” says Krolia. 

“No. So far so good, and I don't want to ruin his excitement. I'm staying within thirty minutes of either the Atlas infirmary or a hospital, and I've been taking it easy. I’ve barely even flown my lion since finding out,” says Keith. 

Krolia seems unconvinced, but chooses to let it slide for now. “Who else knows?” 

“So far just you, Shiro, and Coran. Coran figured it out himself. We’re planning to tell everyone else tomorrow,” says Keith. 

Krolia nods, “The sooner the better I think. I don't think you'll be able to hide that bump much longer. I could feel it when we hugged, and I suppose I probably should have found it suspicious that you’re wearing a hoodie in this weather.” 

Keith looks down, the loose fitting hoodie is actually a pretty decent camouflage, but he knows what he looks like in just the t-shirt he's wearing underneath. He grabbed the hoodie for a reason. “I know, it's just I haven't known for very long and I needed some time to get used to the idea, but I think that time has run out,” he says with a sigh. 

“Keep me updated, and let me know if there's anything I can do to help.” 

“I will, thank you mom.”

They finish their meals and Keith follows Krolia back to where the blades are gathered to prepare for tonight's celebration. He updates Kolivan on what's currently happening with the Atlas, and listens to a report on the ongoing resettlement efforts on New Daibazaal. An uninhabited planet has been chosen for the Galra to settle on now that the majority of the colonies have been taken back, but there are still pockets of resistance. Kolivan has found himself with the task of leading the resettlement movement. It's a big adjustment being in the spotlight after sticking to the shadows with the Blade of Marmora for so long.

It's late in the evening when Keith gets back to the Atlas. Coran spots him in the hall and hands him a shopping bag. “There's an Altean clothing shop in town. Altean made clothing automatically resizes to fit the wearer. It's designed for shapeshifters, but it should also work well for your situation.” says Coran with a grin. 

Keith peeks inside the bag and is relieved to see that the clothes inside are red and black and very close to what he already owns. He had been half-worried he would end up with some bejeweled orange and purple monstrosity. “Thank you, Coran. This means a lot,” he says. 

Coran waves him off “Anything I can do to help, just say the word. Now go get dressed, you don't want to be late."

Keith enters his room and finds Shiro almost ready. “I was beginning to think you ran off,” Shiro teases. “How did it go with your mom?”

"It went fine, she was surprised but not mad. I don't think I'll ever get used to telling people,” says Keith as he pulls his hoodie and t-shirt off over his head. 

Shiro gives him an appraising look “I think we may be about to the point where we don’t need to tell people,” he says. 

“I wouldn't be so sure about that,” replies Keith. “Even my mom thought I was just getting fat.” 

This startles a laugh out of Shiro and he steps across the room and pulls Keith into a hug, lowering his hand to rub against Keith’s bump. Keith thinks back to his mom's warnings about the danger. It may not be fair to keep Shiro in the dark about the risks, but he's just so happy that Keith can't bear to ruin it, at least not tonight.

Keith pulls back from the embrace to finish getting dressed. Coran did an excellent job choosing his suit. It's black with a black vest and tie, and a red button down shirt. Between the layers and the sturdy material he looks like he may have just finished a particularly large meal, which is about the best he can hope for these days. After a quick look in the mirror to make sure his hair is not out of place, Keith and Shiro walk out of their room hand in hand toward the banquet hall. Here goes nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter earns the rating towards the end.

Chapter 3

Keith and Shiro walk into the banquet hall hand in hand and take a seat at the table at the front of the room where Pidge and Hunk are already waiting. Coran is chatting with Iverson across the room, and Krolia waves from her spot with the blades. Soft music is playing as the room quickly fills up with people from all corners of the universe who helped to end the war. 

Lance and Allura arrive just before the doors to the banquet hall close and stop by the table where Romelle and Veronica are seated with some of the Atlas crew before walking up to the front of the room to sit with their fellow paladins. It's great to see everyone in one place again, it's been far too long. 

They sit there together catching up on what everyone has been up to. Allura and Hunk talk about the coalition and exciting potential new allies, Pidge talks about the scientific breakthroughs her team is making on Olkarion. Lance talks about his family, his brother Marco has a new baby, and his sister Rachel is getting married. Keith and Shiro talk about the work the Atlas is doing, scoping out unexplored planets and responding to distress calls throughout the universe. 

A waiter arrives at their table with a tray of champagne glasses. Keith tries to discreetly push his glass in front of Shiro, but it doesn't go unnoticed. “Is this because of last time we went drinking? Because I'm still traumatized,” says Lance. 

“Oh yeah, my 21st birthday,” laughs Pidge. 

“You mean your 18th birthday,” says Shiro, hoping to change the subject. Even talking about time distortion and math would be preferable to where this conversation is heading. 

“Not according to my official ID badge with my birth year,” she responds with a smirk. 

Pidge’s birthday was the last time they were all in one place at the same time and it may have gotten a little out of hand. Okay, more than a little. Keith, Lance and Hunk had all spent their official 21st birthdays in space without even realizing it at the time, so they went all out for Pidge to try to make up for it. Allura and Romelle didn't quite get the significance, but they were happy to tag along as well. They ended up in a karaoke bar where they all proceeded to reach various levels of intoxication, with Keith perhaps being the furthest gone and Shiro a close second. 

Shiro has spent a lot of time trying to locate and delete all copies of the recordings from that night, but once something is on the internet it's there forever. Now anyone who wants to see their terrible drunken duets or their truly uncomfortable PDA before they were kicked out of the bar can easily find it online.

If only that was the worst part. In their drunken stumbling they wound up in the wrong bedroom and didn't realize it until Lance walked in to find them having sex in his bed. “I'll never be able to unsee that,” says Lance with a shudder. 

Hunk gives him a comforting pat on the shoulder as the others laugh. It was an easy misunderstanding. The base they were staying on had color coded their rooms to match the lions instead of matching the paladins’ armor like they were used to. Entering the room with the red door had seemed like a good idea at the time. 

Keith glares at Lance from across the table “You seemed pretty okay with it by morning since it gave you the excuse you needed to spend the night with Allura," at this Allura and Lance both redden. Shiro shoots Allura an apologetic look as he starts drinking his second glass of champagne, she doesn’t deserve to get dragged into this.

There's a momentary distraction as the waiter comes back to refill their glasses and take their orders. Shiro sighs and takes both glasses again. Lance and Hunk are looking at Keith as though he has grown a second head. “Look, I was just teasing, we've all done stupid things while drunk,” says Lance. 

“I haven't,” says Pidge. 

“I'm just not in the mood” says Keith. He's lying of course, if there was ever a time when he felt like he needed a drink, this is certainly it. 

“He's probably still thinking about that hangover. He spent the entire next day holed up in his room in the dark,” says Hunk. 

“A little over three months would be an awfully long time to dwell on one hangover,” laughs Allura. 

At this, Shiro and Keith freeze and look at each other as they come to the realization that maybe the party was responsible after all, in a roundabout way. The timing lines up. 

“Please just let it go,” says Shiro sternly. 

“Okay dad, whatever you say.” says Pidge, rolling her eyes and causing Shiro to choke as he takes a sip from his third glass of champagne. 

Keith is at a loss for words and appears torn between patting Shiro on the back in an attempt to ease his choking and abandoning him to the others to cover his own escape. Shiro grabs his hand under the table to convince him to stay put. 

There's another blissful moment of distraction when the waiter returns with their food, but it's short lived. “You two are acting really weird,” says Lance as he takes a bite of his chicken.

“It’s almost like you are keeping something from us.” agrees Pidge, narrowing her eyes at them suspiciously. 

Keith stares down at his plate refusing to meet anyone's eyes. Shiro’s floating hand betrays him and rests on Keith mostly hidden bump. That thing never did mix well with alcohol. Keith gives Shiro a horrified look as he pushes the hand away. 

There is a clatter of silverware as Allura drops her fork. It's obvious from the shocked expression on her face that she has figured it out. “Already!?” she says with a gasp. “It's barely been a decaphoeb!” 

“What has? Would someone like to fill me in?” questions Hunk. 

“We were going to tell you tomorrow,” Shiro says sheepishly. 

“Tell us what?” asks Lance. 

Shiro looks at Keith questioningly, hoping for permission to put an end to the secrecy as he puts his arm around his shoulders. Keith gives him a quick nod before staring back down at his plate and leaning into Shiro’s side. “Keith is pregnant,” says Shiro with a grin.

Pidge spits out her drink. “Wow, I didn’t see that one coming,” she says with a surprised expression, not even bothering to wipe up her mess. 

“I get it, you're messing with us,” says Lance, looking unimpressed. “You’re going to have to make up something more convincing than that to fool me. I've seen Keith naked, I know he doesn't have the right equipment.” 

Keith looks like he is actively trying to sink through the floor. “Is this like, an alien thing?” asks Hunk, looking more curious than anything. Keith nods. 

“Wow, you really aren't joking, I can't believe this,” says Lance. 

“I can't believe it either, I thought the two of you were more responsible,” says Allura, looking disappointed. Instantly the others all turn to glare at her. “That came out poorly. I'm just surprised. You're both so young, I can't imagine having a child in my first century,” there is an air of uncertainty in her voice, like she knows she isn't helping matters any. 

“Your first century!?” sputters Lance. “Humans don't live that long. Having a baby in your twenties is perfectly normal for us."

People at nearby tables are now actively paying attention and whispering amongst themselves.

Keith is quiet. He has always been quick to stand up for others on the team, but when it comes to himself he prefers to continue on without dignifying the insults with a response and prove the other person wrong through his actions. Right now he looks like he is trying not to cry, that's no good. Shiro can count on one hand the number of times in his life he has seen Keith cry and still have fingers to spare.

Shiro leans in and whispers in Keith’s ear, “would you like to step outside and get away for a few minutes?” 

Keith is staring at the ceiling with his eyes held wide open, as though he is sure if he blinks or tilts his head down the tears that have gathered will start to fall. Shiro pulls him close and leads him out the door into the hall, shooting a glare over his shoulder at Allura who at least has the good sense to look apologetic. “Good job Allura, you just made a pregnant guy cry,” he can hear Pidge say as they step away. 

The hallway is empty. Shiro holds Keith tight and wipes his tears with his sleeve. “It's ok, just let it out, I know that could have gone a lot better,” Shiro says as he rubs Keith’s back. 

“I'm worried she's right, maybe I'm not ready. I’ve never spent any real time around babies, and I didn't exactly have a normal childhood. I don't know what I am doing,” says Keith without pulling his wet face from the crook of Shiro’s neck. 

“Hey, look at me,” says Shiro softly. Keith pulls back and looks up at him with red rimmed eyes. “We will figure it out together, the three of us are going to be fine.” 

“The three of us...” says Keith softly, placing his hand over the slight curve of his stomach as a couple more tears fall. “Can I blame hormones for this?” he asks as he wipes the falling tears away with his hand. 

“You can, but you don't need to. I'm not going to let anyone else give you a hard time,” Shiro leans down and presses a soft kiss to Keith’s tear streaked cheek. “I'm glad this is all out in the open, because now I can do this all I want,” says Shiro as he rests his hand on Keith's bump. 

Lance opens the door and steps into the hall. “Oh man, you really were crying, I thought Pidge was seeing things,” he says, looking alarmed. “Look, we’re all very sorry for how we reacted, and for how we've been acting this evening, especially Allura. She sent me out here because she thought you might not want to see her right now, but I can tell she means it.” 

Keith sighs and slumps against the wall. “It’s fine, I know this is a shock to everyone.” 

“It isn't fine,” says Lance. “When someone tells you they're pregnant the only acceptable response is ‘congratulations’, unless they're asking for advice, and you weren't.”

“Is that so? I've never done this before,” says Keith, holding back the barest hint of a smile. 

“You know, I’m a very experienced uncle. I get rave reviews,” says Lance. 

“Good to know” says Keith looking thoughtful. “Neither of us has much family, our baby could probably use a highly qualified uncle.” 

Something about hearing Keith say the words “our baby” makes Shiro’s heart do a somersault. He could listen to Keith talk about their baby all day. 

“I think I’m ready to go back inside, I just need to go wash my face.” says Keith. 

“I’ll go back to our table and tell the others you’re okay,” says Lance, turning to head back through the door. Shiro follows Keith down the hall and into the restroom. 

Shiro stands beside Keith as he washes his face in the sink and hands him a paper towel to dry off with. Keith moves toward the restroom door and Shiro grabs his hand to stop him. 

“Wait, while we have a minute of privacy…” he tucks a strand of Keith’s hair behind his ear and gently angles Keith’s face up to kiss him. The kiss is soft, but lingering and full of emotion. “I love you,” Shiro says quietly into Keith’s ear. He rubs his thumb across Keith’s jawline. “I can’t wait to show you how much I love you as soon as we get home tonight," Keith blushes as Shiro continues “remind me to thank Coran for giving you that suit, I bet it will look great on our floor.”

Keith’s face is as red as his shirt. “Shiro, stop. If you keep that up I might change my mind about going back to the party. Don't start something you can't finish.” 

Shiro laughs and puts his hands up “To be continued then.” 

Keith laughs, “That was a really terrible line by the way, did you get that one from Lance?” 

Shiro grins “I've been saving that one for a while, I thought it might cheer you up.”

They walk together back to the banquet hall and take their seats trying to ignore the hushed whispers coming from the tables they pass along the way. Luckily they weren't gone long enough for their food to get completely cold. 

The others have nearly finished eating. Allura gives a sheepish smile “I'm sorry I reacted poorly. It won't happen again.”

“It’s okay, it was a surprise to me too,” says Keith.

“But a happy one!” adds Shiro, wrapping his arm around Keith to place his hand on his stomach and leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.

“Awww, that might be the cutest thing I have ever seen,” says Hunk as he wipes a tear from his eye. 

Pidge rolls her eyes at Hunk and says “I can't say I understand it, but if you two are happy, I'm happy for you.” 

“Thank you, your support means a lot to us,” says Shiro. 

Their plates are cleared away and the group heads into the ballroom next door. There is music playing and many of the party guests are already dancing. Romelle spots them from across the room and makes her way over to greet them. “I just heard the news,” she says cheerfully. “Veronica owes me $50, she said it was impossible, but it turns out I was right.” 

Shiro shakes his head, “How many people were in on this betting pool?” 

“Oh, only the bridge crew, minus Coran, we didn't think he would approve,” says Romelle.

Keith excuses himself to take a seat near the edge of the room. Shiro can tell he is getting overwhelmed and follows him. “We can get out of here if you need to, I know this is a lot.” 

“No, I’ll be fine, I just needed to step away for a minute.” 

They sit there for a while and watch the others have fun on the dance floor as party guests keep stopping by to offer their congratulations. In the distance they can see Lance and Allura dancing circles around the room. Romelle has joined Veronica and Acxa by the punch bowl. Veronica doesn't appear too put out about losing the bet. 

Eventually Keith stands up and pulls Shiro onto the dance floor. “I think sitting still may have been worse.” he says. 

They try to ignore the people watching them as they sway around the room. They've already danced through several songs when Krolia walks up to them, “Mind if I cut in?” she asks. 

“He's all yours,” says Shiro, taking a step back. 

“Actually, I'm here for you,” she says. 

Keith claps Shiro on the back. “Have fun, I'm going to go find some water,” he says as he walks away, leaving Shiro alone with Krolia. Shiro gulps and takes her hand.

“You know, when Keith told me he had news, I was expecting to hear of an engagement, not a baby. Have you changed your mind?” 

The last time Shiro had seen Krolia was just over a month ago when he snuck out of the Atlas in a pod unnoticed to pick out an engagement ring. He had asked her to help him choose the right one. “I haven't changed my mind, I've just been waiting for a better time. I don't want him to think I'm only asking because of the baby,” Shiro sighs. 

Krolia gives him a sympathetic smile “If you need me to, I can verify that you bought the ring before you knew. I'm sure he'll say yes.” 

“It isn't that I think he'll say no, I just want it to be perfect. I don't want him to have any doubts about why I would decide to ask now.” 

“I understand.” says Krolia “It's hard when things don't go according to plan, but you'll get through it. Keith loves you.” 

“I know he does. I wish there was something I could do to make this easier on him. It was a surprise for both of us, but it’s much harder on him. I’m so happy about this, but then I feel bad because he seems so miserable. I just want to make it better,” says Shiro. 

“This is a big change for Keith, and it’s going to take some time for him to get used to it. Just take care of him, and make sure he takes care of himself as well. I'll send you some reading material on what to expect,” she says. 

“Thank you, I tried to do some research the night I found out, but it was all so confusing, and almost none of the books I found had any information on hybrids. It’s probably past time to look into it again. I promise I'll take good care of him. Both of them.” 

“I know you will, I wouldn't expect anything less. I just hope he lets you.” 

“He can be stubborn sometimes. I usually find it endearing, but trying to get him to take a step back has been difficult. I guess I’ll just have to keep trying,” says Shiro. 

Krolia laughs “Yeah, that sounds like Keith.”

“I never thought I would get to have this, I promise I won’t take either of them for granted,” says Shiro. 

“I know you won't. I couldn't ask for a better partner for my son, but he's still my child and I think I'll always worry. You'll understand that soon enough,” says Krolia, looking across the room to where Keith is seated deep in conversation with Acxa. 

“I suppose I will,” says Shiro with a smile. 

“Have you considered Yorak for a boy?” Krolia asks. 

Shiro’s smile falters briefly “We haven't discussed names at all yet, but we still have plenty of time to decide.” he says, trying to be diplomatic without making any promises. 

“Of course, no rush. I'll let you get back to him now. Think about what we talked about,” says Krolia, letting go of Shiro as the song ends. 

“I will,” says Shiro. 

Shiro walks to the edge of the room where Keith is now sitting alone. “What did my mom want?” asks Keith. 

“She was just telling me to take good care of you,” says Shiro. 

“You always do,” says Keith. 

“Please tell me we aren't actually going to name our baby Yorak,” says Shiro. 

Keith laughs “No, I think Yorak is out of the question.” 

“Thank goodness,” says Shiro, breathing a sigh of relief.

It's getting late and the crowd is starting to thin out as people return home. Shiro and Keith say their goodbyes and make their way back to their room aboard the Atlas. “That was exhausting,” says Keith as he removes his jacket and tie. 

“It could have gone a lot better,” says Shiro. “But I think everything is going to turn out okay.” 

“I guess,” says Keith as he sits on the edge of the bed to remove his shoes. 

“I meant what I said earlier, about that suit,” says Shiro kneeling down in front of him. “Ever since I saw you put it on I've been dying to take it off of you.” 

Keith’s breath hitches as Shiro’s hand moves up his leg. “I don't know if I have the energy for this right now,” he says, looking unsure. 

“Then lie back and let me do all the work,” says Shiro, removing his suit jacket and leaning in for a kiss.

It doesn't take much to convince Keith. He leans back and pulls Shiro on top of him. Shiro quickly unbuttons his own shirt and tosses it to the side without breaking the kiss, losing a few buttons in the process. 

Keith moves to get started on his own buttons but Shiro stops him. “I've got it, just let me take care of you.” 

“Okay, but leave the buttons on my shirt, I'm running out of clothes that fit.” 

Shiro slowly and carefully unbuttons the shirt like he is unwrapping a gift. He leaves a trail of kisses, and pausing briefly to suck a mark on Keith’s collarbone. He pauses again when he reaches Keith’s stomach and places a hand reverently on the bump. “Have I told you how hot you look like this?” 

Keith shakes his head in disbelief “You mean you don't miss my abs?” 

“Not even a little bit, this is better,” says Shiro, as he continues moving downward, carefully unbuttoning the last few buttons. 

“Why?” asks Keith “I look gross.” 

Shiro moves up on the bed until he can look Keith in the eyes. “Is that what you’ve been worried about? You don't look gross, you look pregnant.” 

“Same thing,” says Keith, rolling his eyes. 

“You know how sometimes you like to leave a mark above my collar because it shows the world that I’m yours?” asks Shiro. Keith nods. “This is kind of like that. It is a physical reminder of how much you love me. You love me enough to put yourself through this to have my baby, and as you grow it’s because our baby is growing and healthy, thanks to you.” 

“Oh” says Keith, looking down. He seems unconvinced. 

“I guess I’m going to have to keep telling you how amazing and gorgeous you are until you believe me,” says Shiro, running his hand over the curve of Keith’s stomach and sliding the unbuttoned shirt off of Keith’s shoulders to toss it onto the chair beside the bed with his other hand. 

He slowly slides down the bed to pick up where he left off, kissing down the trail of hair below Keith’s navel and unbuttoning his pants. Shiro can feel his own erection straining in his pants and grinds down to get friction against the mattress. Keith lifts his hips to help remove his pants and boxer briefs and Shiro sits up to remove his own. “Get comfortable,” he says. “I want to ride you.” 

Keith does as he is told and moves to the center of the bed, propping his head up on the pillows. “Are you sure you don't need help getting ready?” he asks. 

“I can multitask,” says Shiro with a grin. “I've been planning this for hours. Just enjoy yourself and let me take care of you, you deserve it.”

Shiro sends his floating arm over to the bedside table and opens the drawer to retrieve a bottle of lube. He pops the cap and applies a generous amount to the fingers of his metal hand. He bends over top of Keith and kisses his neck as he slowly works his first finger into himself. The stretch is more than he would get from one finger on his other hand, so he takes his time going little by little. Shiro kisses his way back down Keith’s abdomen until he reaches his cock. He kisses and licks around it at first before slowly moving up the shaft and taking the head into his mouth. He can hear Keith let out a gasp that sounds like his name. He swirls his tongue around the head licking away the precome as he begins to move his metal finger inside himself. He thinks he could get off just like this. 

He works Keith’s cock further into his mouth and hollows out his cheeks as he pulls back again. He can feel Keith below him trying hard not to thrust and it makes him feel good that he can still make his boyfriend lose control. He places his hand on Keith’s hip to hold him still as he discovers a rhythm that works for both of them. Shiro can feel Keith running his fingers through his hair as he slowly eases in a second finger. He moans around his boyfriends cock as the second finger breaches his entrance. It's a pleasant burn. He can hear Keith saying something, but he's too distracted by the metal fingers in his ass and the heavy cock in his mouth to make out what's being said. 

Keith shifts his hips and yanks Shiro’s hair. Shiro pops off in surprise and looks at him quizzically. “I was trying to say, if you don't stop now I am going to come,” says Keith “So if you want to make it to the main event…” 

Shiro moves up the bed to rest his head on Keith’s shoulder as he continues to work himself open on his fingers. “I should let you do all the work every time, this is hot,” says Keith as he runs his hand down Shiro’s back and grabs his ass. Shiro scissors his fingers a couple times to make sure he's ready. With his real hand he would want to work up to three, but the fingers of the metal hand are larger and he's getting impatient. He slides his fingers out and grabs the bottle of lube to slick up Keith’s cock. 

Shiro places one leg on each side of Keith to straddle his hips and slowly sinks down as he uses his hand to guide Keith’s cock into place. He sinks down slowly, adjusting to the stretch as he goes. He feels pleasantly full as he takes the last of his length and slowly raises back up before sinking down again. He leans further over Keith to adjust his angle and moans as Keith hits his prostate. He uses his real arm to support himself and brings his metal arm around to stroke his dripping cock. “Mmh, Shiro, this feels so good,” moans Keith. He is flushed from head to toe and his legs are already shaking, it isn't going to be long. 

Shiro picks up the pace and leans his head down to capture Keith’s mouth in a kiss. It is a clash of tongues and teeth as they are both more focused elsewhere but wanting to be close in every way possible. Keith wraps his arms around Shiro’s neck to hold him in place as Shiro continues to rock against him. Suddenly Keith begins to writhe beneath him, saying Shiro’s name like a prayer. The sight of Keith coming apart is enough to push Shiro over the edge. The cascade of pleasure is almost more than he can bear as he continues to move through it, not wanting it to end. 

Finally he collapses, careful to pull off and land to the side of Keith and not on top of him. They lie there with their arms wrapped around each other and legs entangled as they catch their breath. “Aren’t you glad I convinced you to stay awake a little longer?” asks Shiro. 

“If this is the alternative, I may never sleep again,” says Keith. 

Shiro laughs “We have to sleep sometime, but we should probably get cleaned up first.” 

“Just a few more minutes,” says Keith, burrowing in closer and closing his eyes. 

Shiro brushes Keith’s hair out of his face and kisses his cheek. “Stay put, I’ll take care of it.”

Shiro walks to the bathroom to clean up and returns in his underwear holding a clean pair of boxer briefs for Keith and a warm, wet washcloth. Keith is nearly asleep as Shiro wipes him down and helps him into his underwear. He tosses the wet washcloth into the laundry bin and decides to deal with the clothing mess tomorrow. He is tired and he wants to wrap his arm around Keith and go to sleep. 

He turns out the light and deactivates his floating arm and places it on top of the bedside table before climbing back into bed and snuggling close to Keith. As he drifts off, he thinks of the ring that is pushed to the back of the highest shelf in his closet. Maybe soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast with the Paladins.

Keith doesn’t really want to wake up this morning. Shiro is already up and dressed, sitting up in bed reading something on his datapad. The alarm clock starts to buzz and Shiro shuts it off. Keith groans and rolls over to face him. “Do we still have to have breakfast with everyone this morning if we told them last night?” 

“We’ll only all be on the same planet for a few days. Who knows how long it will be before we see them all again. Besides, they probably have a lot of questions now that they've had a night to let this sink in,” says Shiro.

“Is the thought of being questioned about my weird alien biology supposed to make me want to get up and go be social? Because I’m pretty sure you just gave me another reason to stay in bed,” says Keith. 

Shiro lays back down next to him. “We have a few minutes, but we really should get going soon, I don't want anyone to think we forgot about them.” 

“Ugh, fine,” says Keith as he climbs out of bed. 

Keith digs a pair of black stretch pants and a red t-shirt out of his drawers. “I wasn't kidding when I said I’m running out of clothes that fit,” he says as he puts it on. 

“No more hoodie?” asks Shiro with a smile.

“No more hoodie. There is no point in hiding anymore. Besides, it's July and I've been melting since we got to Earth.” 

“You should go buy some new clothes while we're here, who knows how long it'll be before we come back.” 

They walk together down the hall to the kitchen the paladins share. Hunk is cooking breakfast as Pidge snoozes at the table face down on her laptop. Keith gets the impression that she hasn't been to bed yet. Lance is in the kitchen sneaking bites of food under the guise of helping. 

Allura is sitting at the table reading something on her datapad. She looks up from her reading and gives them a sympathetic look “You probably don't want to check the news if you haven't already.” 

“Is it that bad?” asks Shiro. 

“Let’s just say that some of the human-based news sources have some very interesting ideas about you two, and leave it at that.” 

Shiro cringes “Noted.”

Keith takes a seat at the table across from Allura as Hunk and Lance start bringing in plates. Shiro nudges Pidge awake “Good morning sunshine, sleep well?” Pidge grumbles something unintelligible in response, and Shiro laughs and takes the seat next to Keith. 

Hunk’s eyes fall to Keith’s stomach as he sits a plate in front of him “Where were you hiding that last night?” he asks, gesturing wildly at the prominent bump. 

“You can hide a lot with dark colors, layers, and thick fabric,” says Keith, placing a hand on his stomach self-consciously “but that wasn't going to work for much longer.”

“How long have you known?” asks Hunk. 

“A little over three weeks. We wanted to wait and tell everyone in person. That’s why we asked you all to meet us for breakfast this morning, but that didn’t exactly go as planned,” says Keith, taking a bite of his bacon. 

“You’ve only known for three weeks and you already look like that!?” says Lance, incredulously. 

“Okay, rude. I thought I was sick. I didn’t know I could even get pregnant. I eventually went to the doctor because I wasn’t getting better on my own,” says Keith. 

“I bet that was a surprise, I know I'd be surprised.” says Hunk. 

“You should have seen the look on Shiro’s face. I wish I recorded it,” says Keith with a smile. 

“I think I recovered quickly,” laughs Shiro.

“Are you happy?” asks Allura. 

“Yes, very happy. I didn’t know how much I wanted this before it happened,” says Shiro. 

Keith is less sure of his own answer. He's happy that Shiro is happy, and he thinks that Shiro will be a great dad. He already cares deeply about his future child, but he's nervous about messing everything up. He knows what it's like to grow up without parents, and he and Shiro both find themselves in dangerous situations far more often than the average person. Shiro has already died once before. He also isn't thrilled with the idea of being pregnant. So far everything is going well, but that may not last. 

“What about you, Keith?” she asks. 

“Oh, of course I'm happy,” he says, faking a smile. 

Shiro pulls the holo reader out of his pocket and sits it on the center of the table. “This was 3 weeks ago, the baby has done a lot of growing since then, but I don't have anything more recent ” he says as he turns the holo reader on and the hologram from Keith’s first doctor visit pops up. 

“Do you carry that around all the time?” asks Keith. 

“Not all the time… just most of the time.” he says, face turning red. “I only watch it when I'm alone. I like to have a reminder that this is real” he says, resting his hand on Keith stomach. “It just feels too good to be true." 

Keith smiles “You deserve something good, Shiro.”

“Shiro is going to be that dad with a wallet full of baby pictures that you have to look at any time you talk to him, I can already tell.” says Pidge with a smirk. 

“I can't help it, I never thought I would get to have this.” says Shiro. 

“I’m sorry in advance for this question, but I can't stop thinking about it. How is the baby going to get out?” Lance asks, bracing himself for something horrible. 

“Surgically. Either on my due date or as soon as I go into labor, whichever happens first. My external anatomy is human, so anything else would be impossible and trying would cause internal damage and probably kill us both,” says Keith. This is a question he was prepared for, a straightforward anatomy question with no need to talk about his feelings. 

“Okay, that's less horrifying than what I was imagining. When is your due date?” asks Lance. 

“Poor kid is due on Christmas,” says Shiro, who still hasn't moved his hand and is now patting the bump sympathetically. 

Across the table Keith can see Pidge counting backwards before bursting into laughter. “My birthday. You got knocked up on my birthday. Lance was a witness, this is great.”

“Technically we finished after he left the room.” says Keith, who has already accepted that he is unlikely to get through this day with his dignity intact. 

“I really don't need to know any more. Scarred for life, remember?” says Lance, pushing his plate away. Keith takes this opportunity to reach across the table and snatch a strip of bacon. 

“There's more food in the kitchen if you need it. I was reading last night that you'll need a lot of protein, that's why I made bacon and eggs this morning.” says Hunk. “We set up a rotation so at least one of us will always be around on the Atlas if needed. I'll be spending the next couple weeks with you guys, so I would be happy to cook for you, maybe teach you how to make a few things before I leave,” Keith is a decent cook, but he tends to default to the same few meals. Shiro is hopeless in the kitchen. 

“You really don't have to do that, I'm okay,” says Keith. 

“We've thought this through,” says Allura. “People are used to the Atlas being protected by the black lion. Now that the news is out, people are going to expect the black lion to be an easy target, and we can't have you coming under heavy fire right now.”

Keith shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He knows she's right, but the thought of taking a step back from being a paladin for a few months still stings a bit. “What if we need to form Voltron?” he asks. 

“If the combined forces of four lions and the Atlas aren't enough to take something out, then you’ll have to do what you have to do, but until it gets to that point, we just want to keep you safe. I’m sure you would do the same for one of us,” says Lance. 

Keith wants to argue, but looking around the table it is clear that this is five against one. 

Pidge gives him a sympathetic look. “None of us would like being in your position, but I did a lot of reading last night on pregnancy in half-galra males. You’re practically guaranteed to end up on bed rest at some point. We need to be prepared for that.” 

“I wouldn’t say it's a guarantee, I’ve been lucky so far.” mumbles Keith. He has been trying not to put much thought into what the later months will be like, but he's done enough reading to know that shit tends to hit the fan in the last couple months.

“I read up on case studies, there aren’t very many because it seems like conception is unlikely in half-galra men unless their other half is also a species where the males can get pregnant, but in the ones I could find where the other half had anatomy close to human, they all had mobility issues due to pressure on their back and hips, and balance issues from their altered center of gravity. Other complications seemed to happen at a higher rate than full-galra males or females of any species, but were not guaranteed.” 

Keith already knows all of this, between his own research and his talks with his mother and doctor. He chances a glance over at Shiro who looks stricken. He places his hand over Shiro’s and brings it back to his bump. “Hey, this doesn’t change anything for me. It's going to be hard, but it'll all be worth it.” 

“Promise me you'll take it easy, and let us take care of you,” says Shiro. 

“I promise,” says Keith.

\--------------------

The next few days are a blur of meetings and goodbyes as everyone goes their separate ways. Hunk stays aboard the Atlas for what is now being affectionately called “Keith duty.” 

He is in charge of using the yellow lion in place of black if the Atlas comes under attack or gets a distress call that is more easily handled by a smaller vessel. His unofficial duty is keeping Keith company when Shiro is working. Keith suspects he is being babysat to make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard or try anything dangerous. 

Keith is running on the treadmill in the Atlas gym as Hunk hovers nervously close by. “I thought you were staying away from strenuous physical activity,” says Hunk. 

“I am,” says Keith. 

“Then what is this?” says Hunk, gesturing around the room. 

“I’ll be better off if I stay in shape. I’m not sparring or lifting, or even fighting the bots. Just basic cardio and probably some time on the punching bag.” 

“If you say so. Shiro just said to make sure you don't overdo it,” says Hunk, not moving from his place at Keith’s side.

Keith fights back the urge to roll his eyes. He is going to have to have a chat with Shiro about this later. Taking a step back from fighting is one thing. He expected it to happen sooner or later, but he has no interest in being bubble wrapped. “I'll stop if it hurts,” he says. 

Hunk doesn't seem convinced, but he doesn't argue, he just keeps hovering. 

“Fine. I'm done. I need to go get cleaned up,” He doesn't really. That short run was not enough to break a sweat, but shower time is alone time, and alone time is becoming a precious resource. 

“It's probably time for me to go start lunch. Any requests? I made sure to load the kitchen up with Earth food before we left,” says Hunk. 

“No, I'm not picky, just make whatever you want,” says Keith.

Keith decides to skip the shower and walks past the locker room toward the bridge of the ship. He's hoping he can get Shiro alone to talk this out, they've been so busy the past few days that it's been hard to set the time aside to have this conversation. 

Shiro isn't on the bridge so Veronica suggests checking his office. Keith rounds the corner to Shiro’s office and sees that he appears to be on a call. He's chatting with someone on the screen in front of him and he looks worried. Keith stops outside the door so he won't interrupt anything important. 

Shiro glances up and sees Keith standing in front of his office door and waves him in. Keith cranes his neck to see who is on the screen and for the first time in his life he is genuinely annoyed at the sight of his mother.

“Are you conspiring against me now?” he says, trying but failing to keep the anger out of his voice. “What? No! Krolia was just telling me about the Blades she knew who got pregnant,” says Shiro defensively. 

“As I was telling Shiro, they both continued training until the start of their third trimester, and their training was not the cause of any of their complications. If anything, staying in shape helped,” says Krolia. 

“I'm sorry. I started reading about all the things that can go wrong, and I got scared. I just really need you to be okay,” says Shiro pulling Keith in to sit on his lap. 

“I need you to trust me when I say I’m fine if you want me to tell you when I’m not,” says Keith. 

“I know” says Shiro, leaning his face on Keith’s shoulder. 

“I’ll leave you two to work this out. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything at all. That goes for both of you,” says Krolia. 

“Thanks mom, we will,” says Keith before ending the call.

“You need to call Hunk off. I don’t need a babysitter,” says Keith, still agitated from his interrupted workout. 

“I’ll make sure he knows that if you say something is okay, then it’s okay,” says Shiro. 

“Also maybe add not to help me unless I ask for it. I can carry my own gym bag!” says Keith. 

Shiro laughs “Okay, yeah, maybe we went a little overboard.”


	5. Chapter 5

It’s nice to step off of the Atlas for a little while. Pidge’s expedition on Olkarion has made some great discoveries, but many of the scientists who accompanied her are eager to get home and share those discoveries before the rainy season hits.

Keith and Hunk are helping Pidge pack up all her equipment to load it onto the Atlas. She's going to be spending the following month on the Atlas bringing the engineers, researchers, and other scientists on board up to speed on new discoveries while her crew returns to Earth. Hunk will be sticking around a week longer than originally planned in order to help her get set up and learn what he can before returning to his job as one of Earth's diplomats.

Keith pauses as he boxes up another bundle of wires. The past few days he has been getting an odd feeling, like butterflies or bubbles, and it's happening again. He places his hand over the source of the feeling and feels a tiny, almost imperceptible nudge. “Oh,” he whispers.

“Everything okay?” asks Hunk. 

“Yeah, I'm fine, I just felt something,” says Keith. 

“Good something or bad something? Should I go get Shiro?” asks Hunk.

“Good something, I think. Shiro is meeting with Ryner right now anyway,” says Keith. 

“He's been really busy the past couple weeks. I've barely even seen him. Is it always like this?” asks Hunk. 

“No. He's trying to fit in as much work as he can before he goes on leave in a few months. He's trying to finish up as many ongoing projects as possible, meet with nearly every coalition leader, and finish training Coran and Veronica to take over for him once the time comes. He gets up every morning before I do, and comes home late every evening with a mountain of paperwork.”

“That must be hard,” says Hunk. 

“It is, he would never admit it, but I can tell the long hours are wearing on him. I understand it though, the more work he's able to get out of the way now, the more time he'll have to stay home with the baby, barring emergency situations that require the Atlas to transform anyway. Coran can handle diplomacy and battle strategy, and Veronica can handle the paperwork and planning, but Shiro is still the only person who can make the transformation happen.”

Pidge pops her head back into the room. “That should be pretty much everything, ready to get it loaded up?” 

Keith follows her out of the lab and sits the box of wires he just finished packing up on the trolley. The hall is full of Pidge’s crew of human and alien scientists packing away their own equipment to load onto the Atlas for the ride to earth. Keith can feel eyes on him as he leads the way down the hall. 

Keith feels a hand reaching out towards him followed by a thwapping noise, and turns to see Pidge aiming a cable at one of her crew members. “Rulan, we talked about this. Remember your manners, no touching. Sorry Keith, He’s a biologist,” she says, rolling her eyes. 

She turns to face the rest of the crew who are all staring. “Haven’t you ever seen a pregnant man before? Finish up so we can ship out.” 

Keith isn’t sure if he should feel grateful or embarrassed as the crew slowly takes their eyes off of him and gets back to packing up their equipment. 

Keith walks Pidge and Hunk to a room off to the side of the Atlas’s engineering department that will be serving as Pidge’s base of operations during her stay aboard the ship, then excuses himself to go lay down for a while. He needs the alone time more than the nap. Having eyes on him all day has been uncomfortable. The Atlas crew is used to seeing him by now, but leaving the ship for a while reminded him just how odd he must look.

He lays down in his bed and drapes his arm across his abdomen, feeling the soft swell that is now impossible to miss. He thinks about the tiny movement he felt earlier and wishes Shiro was there to feel it too. He didn't realize how tired he really was until he laid down. He feels the slight twinge in his lower back that he has learned to ignore start to ease up as he drifts off to sleep.

\-----------

Keith isn't sure how long he drifted off when he wakes up to the feeling of metal fingers pushing his hair out of his face and a soft kiss being pressed to his forehead. His eyes flutter open to see Shiro standing over him. “Hunk and Pidge said you might be here. I brought you lunch, but if you’re tired I can put it in the fridge to warm up later.”

“No, I'm up,” says Keith, throwing his legs over the side of the bed to sit up and look at Shiro properly. “I missed you. You’ve been out the door by six every morning, and buried in paperwork until midnight every night. That isn't sustainable, you’re going to crash.”

Shiro sighs and sits on the edge of the bed curling into Keith’s side. “I know. Hopefully it'll only be this bad for a couple more weeks. Once I get Coran and Veronica fully trained to take over my duties I can start delegating some things. Right now there is just so much to get done between the things I would normally do, meetings that aren't due until months from now that I would like to get out of the way, and trying to accelerate training for two people, as well as get various crew members trained and ready to take over their positions. It’s a lot.”

“Just the fact that you have to train two people to take over for you is proof you do a lot, Shiro. Is there a way you could take a small step back. Just enough to get some sleep? You still have 22 more weeks before the baby is due to finish up, there's no need to rush through it all now,” says Keith, adjusting his position to pull Shiro’s head into what is left of his lap and brush his fingers through the silvery strands of Shiro’s undercut.

“I have a couple hours right now. I was going to do some paperwork, but Veronica took over my office to run some simulations and I decided not to bring it home with me,” says Shiro, turning to nuzzle his face against the bump that is encroaching on his space in Keith’s lap. 

Keith smiles down at him. “I felt the baby move today. I think I’ve been feeling it for a few days, but I finally realized what it was,” Shiro brings his hand up next to his face to try to feel for any hint of movement. “It isn't happening right now,” says Keith, looking apologetic. 

Shiro sighs “It's it weird that I’m jealous?” 

This startles a laugh out of Keith. “Good, then you can have the next one.” 

“I don't think it works that way,” says Shiro, who is now also laughing. 

“We didn't think this could happen either,” says Keith, patting his stomach fondly “but here we are. Who knows what that fancy clone body of yours is capable of.” 

Shiro sits up, brows furrowed in thought “You don't think… I had a very thorough exam when we first got back to Earth a couple years ago. They wouldn't miss something like that would they?” 

“Well, I spent a ton of time in the garrison infirmary as a cadet, and they never realized I was half alien, so I wouldn't put it past them to miss something like that.”

“Something like 10% of my DNA wasn't identifiably human. The best guess my doctor had was that Haggar replaced my faulty code with something else, but I haven't had it checked again since we started getting samples from other alien species to compare it to,” says Shiro. 

“I am sure you’re fine. If you want to get checked out, it wouldn't hurt, but I wouldn't stress over it,” Keith leans over and whispers in his ear “I'm sure if I could knock you up, I would have by now.”

“That's true,” says Shiro, still looking thoughtful. “I'm still going to redo the test, not because I’m worried about that specifically, but because I feel like I’ve been avoiding it for too long. Now that we're having a baby, knowing what is lurking in my DNA seems important.”

Keith’s stomach growls loudly, “You said something about lunch earlier?” he asks sheepishly. 

“I didn't recognise any of the vegetables, but I think it’s some kind of stir fry. I left it on the table,” says Shiro, getting up to grab the two takeout containers and carry them to the couch. 

They sit there together, eating their stir fry and enjoying each other's company. Keith stands up to throw away the containers and when he returns to the couch, Shiro has fallen asleep sitting up. Keith gently shakes him awake and guides him in the direction of their bed. 

Shiro makes a feeble attempt to protest before kicking his shoes off and climbing into bed and wrapping his arm around Keith. Keith isn't really tired anymore, but he enjoys the opportunity to just lay there and let Shiro hold him as he sleeps. Maybe an hour passes before there's a soft knock on the door. Keith carefully untangles himself from Shiro’s limbs and tiptoes to the door. 

Keith quietly opens the door and sees Veronica standing there. “Oh, hey Keith. I just wanted to stop by and let Shiro know I’m done in his office whenever he wants it back. I would've called, but he left his phone on his desk,” she says, pulling Shiro’s phone out of her pocket and handing it to Keith. 

Keith takes the phone. “I just got him to take a nap, do you need him back right away, or can I let him sleep for a bit?”

“Let him sleep. We were going to go over staffing schedules for next week, but I think I can handle that alone. He will do us a lot more good if he is well rested. I tried to send him back to bed this morning when he showed up without his arm, but he wouldn't hear it.” 

Keith shakes his head, if Shiro is walking off without his arm it must be bad. “Thank you. I'll try to make sure he gets at least a couple hours of sleep before he goes back,” he steps back into his room as she leaves and carefully eases himself back into the bed, careful not to wake Shiro, who is now flat on his back and snoring loudly. Keith smiles and tucks himself into Shiro’s side and drifts off with him.

\-------------

Shiro is only mildly annoyed when he wakes up and discovers he has slept away the entire afternoon. He rushes back to the bridge of the ship and Keith finds himself alone again. 

He wanders down the hall in search of something to do and spots Pidge and Hunk in one of the training rooms. Pidge looks up from her laptop, which is connected to one of the older training bots that she must have found in storage. “Oh, good, we were just getting ready to come find you. Check this out.”

Pidge disconnects her laptop from the bot and says “Training level one, safety on,” and the bot springs into action, lunging at Hunk who seems far calmer than he would normally be in this situation. 

The bot stops short, the distance between the staff it's wielding and Hunk’s helmet is almost too small to see. Hunk takes a step back and the bot follows, swinging it's staff around, but again stopping just short, this time with the staff aimed at Hunk’s side. Hunk lets out a short laugh, “Okay, okay. It works,” he says, as Pidge powers the bot back down.

“What was that all about?” asks Keith. 

“I heard you’ve been getting bored, so I altered an old gladiator bot. Now you can spar with this one and it won't hit you back,” says Pidge, patting the powered down bot fondly. 

“That's very thoughtful, but I'm not sure how useful it'll be if I don't know when it would've hit me to revise my strategy,” says Keith. 

“Trust me, you'll know. It tickles ” says Hunk. “Just give it a shot, if nothing else, it’ll be more entertaining than a punching bag.”

“Yeah, and later once you're done with it, it'll be a cool toy for your kid,” says Pidge, beaming. Keith makes a mental note to never let her babysit before grabbing a training sword from the corner of the room and stepping up to the bot. 

It really is better than the punching bag. Keith isn't sure how useful it is as a training tool, at least for someone with as much battle experience as he has, but at least it's fun and it gives him something to do. 

Pidge packs up her laptop and makes her way to the door. “I'll leave you to it. I have another project I need to get started on,” she says. 

“For the tournament?” asks Hunk. 

“Tournament? What tournament?” asks Pidge, trying but failing to sound innocent. 

“He means the one the engineering department throws about every three months or so when they all build battle robots out of spare parts and fight them down in the hull of the ship,” says Keith, casually.

“Oh good, you know. That makes this easier.” says Pidge. 

“Of course I know, I live here,” says Keith, looking confused. 

“I thought since it was a secret from Shiro, we probably shouldn't tell you either.”

Keith laughs. “Shiro knows about the battlebots tournament, he isn't an idiot. He just doesn't want to have to explain it to the council so he pretends not to know. Besides, if she got approval for this, who knows what Matilda would try next. At least this gets her to mostly stop blowing things up.” 

Matilda is the head of the engineering department. She was a robotics professor before the Galra invasion forced her and her wife and son into the resistance where she proved very useful in making weapons and setting traps. Once the war was over and the Atlas separated from the Galaxy Garrison in order to work more directly under the Voltron Coalition, she was one of many former resistance fighters eager to get into space.

“She may have beaten me last time I was on board for one of these, but this time I’m going to kick her ass ” says Pidge with a grin before taking off out the door. 

Keith shuts down the gladiator bot and turns to Hunk. “Do you need to go work on yours?” 

“I finished mine yesterday. The smart money is on Pidge, but I think I'll get pretty far this time,” says Hunk.

Keith feels the same small movement he felt that morning and places his hand over the source. He must have a strange look on his face, because Hunk is instantly at his side. “Are you okay? You didn't overdo it did you? I told Pidge this might not be a good idea.” 

The movement picks up a bit. “I'm fine, it's just… actually, here feel for yourself,” says Keith, replacing his hand with Hunk’s. 

Hunk’s eyes widen “Was that… how long has this been happening?” He asks, wrapping Keith up in a hug with his other arm.

“Just a few days,” says Keith, taking a step back to reestablish his personal space. 

“I figured out what it was this morning, and since then I've only felt it briefly when I was alone.” 

“What's it like?” asks Hunk. 

“It feels weird, but not in a bad way,” says Keith.   
“I guess this is a sign that everything is still going well, I just wish it would happen when Shiro is around to feel it too, but that’s hard when he's always working.” 

Hunk pats him sympathetically. “It'll happen, hopefully it won't be long before he finishes up whatever it is that's keeping him at work all the time. Let's go make dinner then see if we can figure out what Pidge is up to.”

 

\-------------------

The next five days pass slowly. Pidge spends all of her time in her workshop perfecting her battlebot, not letting anyone in unless they're bringing her food or supplies with a promise not to tell anyone from the engineering department what exactly it is that she is building. Not that anyone can really tell anyway.

Shiro has cut back on hours a little bit. He was practically forced into it after the second time he arrived to work without his arm. Aside from bedtime and meal times, Keith still barely sees him, but at least he's sleeping now, and that's a start. The baby has proven to be very stubborn and has so far still refused to move when Shiro is around to feel. It's starting to give Shiro a complex.

Hunk and Keith have been spending most of their time in the kitchen. Keith was never a terrible cook by any means, but he was pretty limited in the number of recipes he knew how to prepare. Now he has a freezer full of prepared meals and a few more recipes under his belt. 

Keith steps down into the hull of the ship to watch the tournament. He promised to get a video for Shiro so he can see what he missed without risking looking like he condones anything that’s happening. 

Keith is glad he chose a spot near the back as bits of metal fly in all directions from the makeshift pit. Twenty competitors have been reduced to around ten and the round is paused briefly for the broken bots to be removed before resuming once everyone is clear. Hunk’s bot is still going despite being down a blade as it takes out two of the competitors.

Pidge seems to be relying on speed to evade attacks from the other bots while the group thins out. Her bot is being chased down by one that shoots miniature explosives. There are now only four bots left moving. Pidge, Hunk, the explosive cannon, and a very damaged drillbot. The explosive canon turns on Hunk and knocks his bot out of the arena as Pidge turns on it. A miniature replica of a vine cannon pops out of the top of Pidge’s bot and tangles in the treads of the explosive bot.

The explosive bot is struggling to burn away the vines as the drill bot sneaks up behind it and finishes it off before being hastily dispatched by another shot from the vine cannon. Pidge is victorious. 

Keith watches as prize money is doled out and sees Matilda gather up the pieces of the explosive bot. He's surprised to see one of the apprentices grabbing the drill bot before marching over to Pidge and hastily handing her a scrap of paper and then practically running away. Even from this distance, Keith can tell that Pidge is blushing as she hastily stuffs the note into her pocket.

Keith joins Pidge and Hunk as they leave the makeshift arena and congratulates them on an impressive first and fourth place. Pidge is still bright red as Hunk asks a dozen prying questions about the note in her pocket. Keith checks his watch and realizes that Shiro probably made it home a few minutes ago, so he excuses himself to leave. Pidge is still at a loss for words as Hunk waves goodbye.

When Keith enters his room, Shiro is sitting on the couch clutching an envelope. “I got those test results back today. Would you like to start with the good news, or the weird news?” 

Keith sits down next to him and leans into his side. “Let's start with weird.”

“Okay, remember that abandoned cloning facility we found a little over a year ago? Right before we found Haggar?” says Shiro. 

“The one that was mostly empty aside from a few notes about Lotor?” asks Keith. 

“Yeah, that one. I think I'm around 10% Lotor.” 

Keith’s eyebrows raise so high they look like they are trying to join his hairline. “What makes you say that?” he asks. 

“The 10% of my DNA that's not human is a blend of Altean and Galran, and I know Haggar had his DNA on hand,” says Shiro, burying his face in Keith’s shoulder. 

Keith pats him on the back. “I guess that makes sense, but you're still 100% Shiro to me,” he says pulling Shiro up into a kiss. 

“So what was the good news?” asks Keith as he pulls back. 

Shiro’s face lights up “Not only were they still able to verify that there are no traces of my old illness, I should be aging slower than a typical human. When I asked what that might mean, I was told that my lifespan should be roughly equivalent to yours. I have less alien in me than you do, but Alteans typically live longer than Galrans without abusing quintessence, so we should just about equal out.”

Keith all but leaps into Shiro’s lap with joy. Their differing lifespans had been a worry in the back of his head since the day he found out he was half-Galra. Knowing that he is less likely than he thought to outlive Shiro by a couple hundred years is a huge relief. 

Shiro smiles as he wraps his arms around Keith and carries him to their bed. “I love you. I'm going to be around to love you for a long time, if you'll have me.” 

“Of course I will. You couldn't get rid of me even if you wanted to. I'll always find a way to drag you back,” says Keith, and Shiro knows he means it. 

Suddenly Shiro jumps up out of bed and runs to the closet. “I think it is a bit late to go back in.” laughs Keith. 

Shiro smiles and returns to the bed holding a small box. “I've been holding onto this for months, trying to come with the best way to ask, but I think when it comes to us, trying to plan a way to make it perfect is the wrong way to go. This is already perfect, we just need to make it official.” Keith covers his mouth with his hand as Shiro opens the small box revealing a silver colored band with a purple stripe going around the center. “Keith, will you marry me?”

Keith snatches the box as he says “Yes” and quickly places the ring on his finger before pulling Shiro down into a kiss. “No take backs, I'm yours forever,” says Keith. 

“I wouldn't dream of taking this back,” says Shiro. 

Keith works his hands underneath Shiro’s shirt and tugs it off before kissing down the exposed skin towards the waistband of his pants. Shiro lifts his hips to help out as Keith tugs them off. Shiro flips them over and pulls Keith’s shirt over his head before pausing for a moment to ask “Are you comfortable on your back? I want to be able to look at you.” 

“Yeah, just let me prop up on some pillows, I want to look at you too.”

Shiro dives back down and hastily removes the last scrap of clothing between them before carefully angling himself over his fiancé for another kiss. He kisses his way down Keith’s body as Keith’s hands explore every inch of him that he can reach. Shiro sits back up and grabs the lube from the bedside table and leans forward to place another kiss on Keith’s mouth before moving back down. 

Shiro coats the fingers on his left hand with lube and circles Keith’s entrance as he takes the head of Keith’s cock into his mouth. Keith moans and tangles his fingers in Shiro’s hair. “I've missed this so much Shiro, it's been too long.” Shiro hums an affirmation and slides in his first finger. Keith resists the urge to buck into it as he gazes down at Shiro and realizes he can only see the top of his head. 

Shiro pulls off and stills his hand as Keith makes a sound of annoyance. “What's wrong?” he asks, looking concerned. 

“Nothing, it's just my view is blocked. I wanted to be able to look at you,” says Keith, putting his hand over his rounded belly for emphasis. 

Shiro smiles and goes back to moving his finger. “I can stay up here, if you prefer,” he says, moving up the bed to mouth at Keith’s neck while continuing the thrusts of his finger. 

“Please” says Keith. Shiro adds a second finger and Keith pulls him into another biting kiss. 

“I'm ready Shiro. I need you,” says Keith. 

“I don't want to hurt you.” says Shiro, looking uncertain. 

“You won't. I'm not fragile, please. I need you inside me,” says Keith as he bucks down on Shiro’s fingers for emphasis. 

Shiro pulls out and coats his cock with the lube before lining up with Keith’s entrance. Keith gives him an encouraging nod and he presses in slowly. Keith pushes back against it until Shiro’s cock is fully seated inside him. He smiles up at Shiro “I told you I was ready.” 

Shiro leans down over Keith and gives him another slow kiss before pulling out slowly and giving a few short experimental thrusts. Once he's satisfied he pulls Keith’s ankles over his shoulders and begins to thrust deeper and faster. 

Keith makes an approving sound before reaching down and taking himself in hand to jerk off in time with Shiro’s thrusts. “You feel so good, I love you so much,” says Shiro, looking down on Keith. “You're so beautiful like this,” he says, brushing his hand over Keith’s stomach “and wearing my ring. I can't believe I get to marry you.”

“Like I would ever say no. I'm the lucky one. You keep coming back to me,” says Keith. 

“I would never stay gone if I had the choice,” says Shiro, releasing Keith’s legs to lean in for another kiss. Keith is coming apart beneath him, quickening his movements as he moans Shiro’s name. Shiro picks up the pace to push him over the edge and Keith comes with a gasp.

Shiro moves to pull back and finish himself off when Keith wraps his legs around his back to hold him in place. “Stay, I’m not done with you yet.” he says, reaching up to place his hand on the side of Shiro’s face. 

Shiro turns his face into the hand and kisses Keith’s palm. “Tell me if you get too sensitive,” he says as he resumes his movements. It doesn’t take long for him to follow Keith over the edge. 

Shiro slowly pulls out and moves up the bed to pull Keith into his arms. Keith looks back down at the ring on his finger. “So what made you choose this one?” he asks. 

“It's luxite, same as your Marmora blade. I thought you might like having that connection. The purple line is actually bound to me. I was curious at the time why it worked since I was under the impression luxite would only bind to people with Galra blood. I guess now I know,” says Shiro, reaching out to hold Keith’s hand. 

“I guess now I need to buy you one, any requests?” asks Keith. 

“I’m sure whatever you choose will be fine, I just want to marry you,” says Shiro.

Keith climbs out of bed in a hurry “Sorry to interrupt the moment, I really have to pee,” he says as he nearly runs to the bathroom. 

Shiro laughs. A few minutes later Keith emerges from the bathroom with his pajamas on and Shiro takes his turn to get ready for bed. 

Keith grabs his data pad and carries it to bed. It’s getting late, but he's too amped up to sleep. Shiro joins him in bed and lays his head on his shoulder. “Were you able to record the tournament? I’d like to watch it before someone tells me who won.”

Keith laughs “Yeah, I got it. It was a good one. I won’t spoil it for you,” he says as he pulls the video up on his screen and cuddles in closer to Shiro so they can both have a good view. 

They watch the video together, Shiro cheering every time Pidge or Hunk gets a good hit. He laughs when Matilda’s explosive bot is taken down by the drill bot “Ouch, taken out by her own apprentice.” 

“How do you think she feels about that one?” laughs Keith. 

“Proud, probably taking credit for teaching her all she knows,” says Shiro with a smile. 

“The best part is still coming, watch this,” Keith says as the battle ends with Pidge victorious. 

“What do you mean, it’s over?” says Shiro. 

“Here it comes,” says Keith, as Matilda’s apprentice runs across the screen to pass off a note to a very flustered looking Pidge. 

“Oh this is perfect. Remember how much hell she gave us when we first started dating? Maybe now we can turn the tables on her,” says Shiro with a wicked grin. 

“Don’t scare the poor girl off, she looks terrified,” laughs Keith. 

“Angela should be terrified if she wants to date Pidge,” laughs Shiro. 

“Good point,” says Keith. 

Keith starts to feel a small fluttering movement and grabs Shiro’s hand to place it over the source. “Finally, it's happening!” he says as Shiro’s smile widens. 

“Wow, this is really happening,” says Shiro, tearing up slightly. 

“This is real, Shiro. We made this,” says Keith, placing his hand over Shiro’s and leaning against his side. 

“This might be the best day of my life,” says Shiro, wiping away a single tear. 

“The best day of your life so far,” corrects Keith. “We still have a very long time.”


	6. Chapter 6

Keith leans back on the exam table as he waits for the doctor to enter the room. Shiro is at his side, smiling widely from excitement as he holds Keith’s hand. Tala enters the room holding the same metal wand as before, as well as a red folder and a large stack of papers. 

“I was able to get in touch with the hybrid specialist you mentioned at your last appointment. Her office is on New Daibazaal, but she's interested in monitoring your case remotely. I’ll just need you to sign a release for me to share your records,” says Tala, as she pulls a sheet of paper out of the red folder and hands it to Keith to sign.

“Hybrid specialist?” asks Shiro. 

“Her name is Denna, Acxa knows her somehow. I probably wouldn't have thought about it if she didn't call me right before my last appointment and insist,” says Keith. “Anyway, it is probably not a bad idea,” Shiro nods.

Tala gestures to the stack of papers now sitting on a table off to the side of the room. “I printed out the information she sent over, it's much more thorough than anything I was able to find previously, I’ll let you take that copy home with you to look over,” she says. 

“Sounds good,” says Keith. 

“How have you been feeling?” she asks, pulling out his chart to take down notes. 

“Still more tired than I’m used to, and the back pain has been getting worse, but it isn't anything I can't deal with,” says Keith. 

Tala nods “That's to be expected, I’m sorry to say it will probably only get worse from here. The good news is you're halfway done! Twenty weeks down, twenty more to go.” 

Shiro beams down at Keith and caresses his abdomen “I can't wait." 

Tala smiles at Shiro “Are you ready to take a look?” she asks, gesturing with the metal wand. Shiro nods enthusiastically and moves his hand out of the way as Keith pushes his shirt up. Tala places the wand over Keith’s stomach and turns it on. 

The image that pops up is far clearer than what they saw before. The baby is curled into the fetal position, mouthing at one hand. Tala runs through several scans and measurements as Shiro and Keith stare at the screen in awe. “I need to get a few measurements from a different angle, so I'm going to see if I can get the baby to move. While I’m doing that, do you want to know the sex?” asks Tala, pressing down lightly on Keith’s abdomen. 

"Yes!” shouts Shiro and Keith in unison. It isn’t something they've discussed and neither really has a preference, but they both want to know.

After a bit of poking and prodding the baby stretches out and flips over, tiny legs flailing in the direction of the assault. “Feisty,” says Shiro with a grin as Keith looks over at him and squeezes his hand.

“It’s a girl. She looks healthy and active. I’ll get the recording to one of you as soon as I have a copy made to send over with Keith’s records,” says Tala, as she finishes her final measurement and turns off the wand.

“Unless Doctor Denna finds something we need to take a closer look at, I'll see you back here in a month. Don’t hesitate to stop by if you have any issues or questions. We can sort through it together or call the specialist,” she says, handing Keith the thick stack of papers. 

“Thank you,” says Keith, sitting up on the exam table and pulling his shirt back down. “I’ll be sure to read through all of this as soon as I can.”

As soon as they step out into the hall, Shiro wraps Keith in a tight hug. “She's perfect, I can’t wait to meet her,” he says. 

Keith looks down, then looks back up at Shiro, wide eyed. “We made a person, Shiro,” he says quietly. 

Shiro raises an eyebrow “What did you think was in here?” he asks, placing his hand over the bump where he can feel the baby still angrily kicking from being disturbed a few minutes ago. 

“I guess until seeing her just now she felt hypothetical,” says Keith, joining Shiro’s hands with his own. 

Shiro gives Keith a concerned look “Do you need some time to process this before we call your mom? I know we promised we'd keep her up to date, but I don’t think she knows your appointment was this morning if you'd rather wait until tomorrow.” 

Keith shakes his head “no, I’m fine. Let's call her before you have to get back to work,” he says. 

“My office has the best setup for video calling, unless you would rather use the smaller screen at home,” says Shiro. 

“No, your office is fine,” says Keith.

They walk together to Shiro’s office, just off of the bridge of the ship. Keith is still in a daze as Shiro proudly tells anyone who is around to listen about their healthy baby girl. Keith vaguely registers Pidge clapping him on the back in congratulations as Coran and Romelle express their excitement. 

Shiro closes the office door behind them as they enter and guides Keith to sit in his desk chair before carrying a second chair behind the desk to sit next to him. He clicks the icon on the screen to call Krolia. 

A few moments pass before Krolia picks up the phone. She's standing outdoors under a tree. There is loud cheering happening in the distance. “Hello, is everything okay?” she asks, looking concerned. 

“Everything is great,” says Shiro. “Keith had his 20 week check up today. We're just calling to tell you that we’re expecting a healthy baby girl.” 

“That is good news. How are you feeling, Keith?” she asks. 

“I’m still fine, I’ll let you know if it changes,” says Keith. “Where are you anyway?” he asks as another loud cheer erupts from the crowd in the distance. 

“A rally for the advancement of Galran hybrids,” she says, briefly turning the phone around to show off the crowd in the distance. “I’m here to monitor the situation, and also offer my support.”

Keith and Shiro can pick out Acxa in the distance behind a podium in front of the crowd. Krolia turns the camera back around to look at them. “She's really getting them motivated. I think she may have a career in government ahead of her if she keeps this up.” says Krolia with an amused smile. 

“Better than most alternatives,” says Keith, leaning back in his chair and putting his hand on his belly. “The world needs more safe places for Galra hybrids."

Half-Galra are in a particularly precarious position now that the majority of the colonies have been taken back. Many people with some Galran ancestry have found themselves unwelcome on the home planet of their non-galran parent, and while New Daibazaal has non-discrimination laws in place, many still look down on those who are not “pure”. Acxa has been working hard to end the stigma of being half-galra and help those in need of legal resources to get the help they need. 

“Acxa said she gave you the name of a specialist, have you followed up on that?” asks Krolia. 

“Yes, Doctor Denna will be monitoring my case at a distance, and she sent over some information for me and Doctor Tala to go over,” says Keith, waving the stack of papers he was given earlier. 

Another loud cheer erupts in the background. “I’m sorry, I’m going to have to go, I can barely hear you,” says Krolia apologetically. “I’ll call you back later once I’m out of this crowd. I love you, take good care of yourself and my granddaughter.” 

“I will, I love you too mom. I’ll talk to you later,” says Keith as the phone disconnects. 

Within seconds the phone is ringing again. “It’s Allura,” says Shiro as he reaches forward to click the answer call button. 

Allura and Hunk pop up on screen looking excited. “We just left a council meeting on Arus and Romelle told us the good news,” says Allura. 

“News travels fast” laughs Shiro, “We’ve known for less than an hour,” 

“It'll be nice to have another girl around, I’ve been outnumbered for too long,” says Allura. 

“How are you feeling?” asks Hunk, looking at Keith. 

“A little sore, but overall pretty much the same as before you left a few days ago.” says Keith. 

“You look great!” says Allura. 

“That’s what I keep telling him,” says Shiro, smiling and reaching over to rub Keith’s stomach. 

“You have to say that, Shiro. You did this to me,” says Keith, joining Shiro’s hand with his own. 

“Then maybe you'll believe Allura,” says Shiro.

“We need to get going, we just wanted to call and congratulate you. Let us know if you need anything,” says Allura. 

“We will,” says Shiro. “I don’t guess Lance is there with you?” 

“No, he stayed home this time, I can call and tell him if you would like,” she says. 

“No, that’s alright, we’ll tell him if Romelle hasn’t already. It was good talking to you both. We’ll see you soon,” says Shiro, disconnecting the call.

“I guess we should call Lance,” says Keith. 

“I guess so, we wouldn’t want to leave him out now that everyone else knows,” says Shiro, scrolling down his contact list. 

After a few rings, Lance picks up the phone looking like he just woke up. “Is everything okay? It’s like 5 am here,” he says, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

Keith cringes, he had forgotten to consider the difference between the time zone Lance normally stays in on Earth and the Atlas’s day/night cycle. 

“Sorry to wake you,” says Shiro, apologetically. “We just wanted to let you know that Keith had a check up today, the baby is healthy and we found out we're going to have a girl.” 

“That probably could’ve waited about five hours, but I’m happy for you,” says Lance.

At that moment red lights start flashing and an alarm starts blaring. “Is that real, or a drill?” asks Lance, now wide awake. 

“There's no drill scheduled for today. I need to go. Keith, get to the interior of the ship,” says Shiro, running out of his office towards the bridge. 

Keith can see Lance scrambling into his armor on the screen. “You heard Shiro, go. I’ll be right there,” says Lance as he disconnects the call.

Keith follows the crowd of civilians to the reinforced interior of the ship. He can’t help feeling like he is going the wrong way as he walks into the wide open room at the center of the ship and takes a seat by the wall. Logically he knows this is where most of the ship’s inhabitants go during battles because the room has reinforced wall panels and is in a part of the ship that experiences minimal movement during transformation, but this is the first time he has joined them instead of running to his lion during an attack.

He silently curses himself for not stopping by his room to grab his communicator to monitor the battle from the safety of the interior room and watches as more people file into the room. 

He never realized just how many people there are on board, it’s rare to see them all in one place like this. He looks over as someone sits next to him and recognizes Matilda. Her apprentice Angela is across the room fiddling with a monitor. 

“It gets easier,” says Matilda. “At first I hated being stuck in here while my wife is out there. During the war we were always side by side through everything, but here there's no need for that and the last thing she needs is the distraction. She fights better and stays safer knowing I’m in here.” 

She pulls a granola bar out of her bag and hands it to him “Sometimes we get stuck in here for a while, the door disappears when the ship transforms about half the time. I recommend packing up a bag with some snacks and a way to entertain yourself.” 

“Thanks, I just wish I could see what's going on,” he says. 

“Angela is working on it,” says Matilda gesturing to where Angela is typing furiously on the computer she has set up in the middle of the room. She opens a second window and types a final line and a face pops up on the screen, deep in concentration. Keith recognizes her as one of the gunners from the bridge crew. 

“That’s Sarah, my wife,” says Matilda, leaning in to get a better look at the screen. On the screen Sarah sighs and looks directly into the camera 

“I know you're watching, Matilda. The light turns on when you hack into my camera,” she says quietly, looking around to see if anyone else has noticed. 

Matilda turns to Angela “You forgot to disable the light,” she says with a laugh. 

They pass the time in companionable silence. Keith watches the people around the room and tries to imagine leaving his daughter here while he fights in his lion. There are several children in the room and they all seem pretty calm, but they also all seem to be with their families. His daughter will be alone. 

He remembers countless evenings when he was a kid waiting for his pop to get home, until one day he didn’t. All he can picture is his own daughter waiting alone in this room for her dads to come back.

A voice comes over the intercom giving the all clear and people begin to make their way out of the room. Keith slowly makes his way to the bridge of the ship to check on Shiro, but when he gets there Shiro is nowhere to be found. 

Coran senses his panic and rushes over. “Shiro is fine, he just went looking for you. There's no need to worry, we had it all under control.” 

Keith nods and turns back to walk toward his room. Shiro probably went there. 

Keith normally makes the walk to and from the bridge multiple times a day without even thinking about it, but lately the slightest bit of exertion has been hell on his back. He's tempted to stop and take a break, but he pushes forward, needing to see for himself that Shiro is okay. As the door to his room comes into view he sees Shiro stepping out in a panic before seeing him coming and visibly calming down.

“I was about to check the infirmary,” says Shiro. 

“I went to the bridge first. Sorry I’m not as fast as I used to be," says Keith, limping the last few feet to the door and collapsing onto the couch. 

“It was just pirates, they weren’t very organized. Most of them scattered as soon as they saw green and red,” says Shiro, sitting down on the couch next to Keith and wrapping him up in a tight hug.

“I don’t like not being out there,” says Keith. “But sitting in the safe room waiting to able to go check on you made me think about our daughter, sitting there alone waiting for us to come back.” 

“She won’t be alone, we’ll make sure someone is with her,” says Shiro. 

“I remember being a kid and waiting every evening for my dad to get home until one day he didn’t. I want her childhood to be better than mine,” says Keith, leaning against Shiro and placing his hand on his stomach.

“Her childhood is going to be great. Do you know what I would've done to get to grow up in space?” says Shiro. “How about I make you a promise. If anything happens to you, I’ll be extra careful to stay alive for her, and if anything happens to me, you do the same.”

“And what if we die together?” asks Keith. 

“We’re going to be fine, the universe is safer than it's ever been. That was the first attack in months and it was barely anything, but if something happens to both of us, she still won’t be alone. Your mom would take her in, or one of our friends. She won’t be alone like you were. Too many people care about her already.” 

“I guess that’s true,” says Keith. 

Shiro checks his watch “I gave the crew a few minutes to check in with their families before we debriefed, but they’re probably about to come looking for me. Will you be okay?” he asks. 

“Of course. I’m just going to stay here and get some rest,” says Keith, laying back on the couch and reaching for the remote. His back is still throbbing, and he knows from experience that once it reaches this point he is pretty much done for the day. 

“You know,” says Shiro, pausing and looking thoughtful. “If we really want to make sure she's never alone, we could always have another one.” 

Keith’s jaw drops “If you think I’m doing this again you’re insane.” 

Shiro laughs “It was just a thought, I’ll see you later this evening,” he says, bending down to give Keith a quick kiss before heading out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith spends the day with Lance.

Keith makes his way to the lounge area shared by all the paladins hoping to find Lance there. He rounds the corner into the room and sees him sitting on the floor in front of the television playing a video game. He looks up and waves a second controller in Keith's direction “Do you want to be player 2?” he asks.

“No thanks, if I sit down there I might never get back up. I was just wondering if you'd like to go shopping,” says Keith. 

Lance looks up at him and puts his controller down. “I thought you'd never ask, let's get out of here. I've been on the ship for over a month now and I haven't even seen you leave once. That can't be healthy,” he says, standing up to put the game console away. 

Keith shrugs “I haven't exactly been eager to be seen in public.”

“We can take Red, what did you have in mind?” asks Lance. 

“I need to buy a ring for Shiro,” says Keith. “I’d like to get him one like mine.” 

Lance leans in and examines the ring that's now dangling from a chain around Keith neck due to his swollen fingers. “Probably not earth then. Space mall?” he asks.

“It’s worth a shot, just try not to buy a cow this time,” says Keith. 

Lance laughs “I didn't buy Kaltenecker, she was free with purchase, and Pidge is just as much to blame as I am.” 

“Oh, that changes everything.” says Keith. 

They walk through the hangar toward the red lion. Once they're on board Lance opens a communications channel with Romelle. “Hey Romelle, can you open a wormhole to the space mall? I just sent you the coordinates,” says Lance. 

“Sure! Bring me something back,” says Romelle cheerfully. 

“What did you have in mind?” asks Lance. 

“Oh, I didn't think it through that far, surprise me,” she says with a smile as she steps onto the teludav. 

“You got it, thanks Romelle,” says Lance. 

“Any time, it’s literally my job,” says Romelle as the communications link closes.

They land outside the space mall, taking up several spaces in a parking lot that is meant for small pods, not a giant robot lion. Then make their way through the crowd that has gathered to get a closer look at the lion. Once inside they walk over to a map of the mall and locate an area on the far side of the mall with a cluster of jewelry stores. 

They make it most of the way there before Lance notices Keith starting to slow down and suggests they take a break on a nearby bench. After they sit down they realize the bench is right across the aisle from a cart selling Voltron fan merchandise. Lance walks over to the cart and picks out two small plush lions, a blue one and a black one. The cashier realizes who he is and refuses to accept his payment, insisting that he goes back to grab a red one as well. 

He brings the lions back to the bench and pulls them out of the bag to show Keith. “I got the blue one for Romelle and I’m keeping Red, but the black one is for you. Well, mini-you.” 

Keith takes the plush lion and looks it over. “You know, this is actually the first thing anyone has gotten for her. Her room is completely empty other than a standard issue crib from one of the guest quarters on the ship.” 

“If you feel up to it, we should check out a baby store after we get Shiro’s ring,” says Lance. 

“Yeah, we should. I don't want to be unprepared.” 

The first few jewelry stores don't have anything close to what they are looking for, and after a while Keith is starting to regret not asking Shiro where he bought the ring. They step into the final shop expecting this trip to be a bust. The jeweler behind the counter greets them as they enter. 

Keith leans against the counter and shows his ring to the jeweler. “I am looking for a Luxite ring, similar to this one, do you have anything like that here?” 

The jeweler thinks for a moment and pulls a box out from under the counter. “We don't get many requests for these so we don't keep them on display. The metal only bonds to Galra.”

Keith pulls a large plain looking band from the box “How would I go about binding this to myself?” he asks, curiously. 

“A single drop of blood should do it, assuming you have Galra ancestry,” says the jeweler. 

Keith examines the ring and compares the size of it to the string he used to measure Shiro’s finger. Once he has determined that it will fit he pulls out his dagger and makes a tiny cut on his hand and rubs the blood onto the surface of the ring. It instantly lights up with a purple pattern encircling the ring. Now that he's satisfied the ring is legitimate he pays and exits the shop, Lance following close behind.

“We’re near the food court, do you want to stop and grab a bite to eat?” asks Lance. 

“Yeah, I think I need to sit down again.” says Keith reluctantly. He hates that the back pain has started to get in the way of everyday tasks. Everything he read warned him it would be bad, but he never expected it to be this bad. 

They approach the tables and Keith sits down. “What do you want to eat, I'll go grab it for you,” says Lance. 

Keith looks around the food court, not seeing anything he recognizes “Some kind of meat, other than that I have no idea.” 

“Okay, meat it is, I'll be back in a few.”

Keith sits back in his chair and tries to get comfortable while ignoring the stares he is getting from the people walking by. 

Lance returns with two trays and places one in front of Keith. “I have no idea what this is, but it looks like chicken and it smells okay. There aren't any earth restaurants here,” says Lance.

Keith sniffs at the “chicken” and takes a slow bite. It isn't bad, it tastes closer to pork and there is a bit of a kick to it. 

“How is it?” asks Lance, looking up from what appears to be some sort of alien pizza. 

“Not bad. I think this qualifies as eating like a Galra,” says Keith, taking another bite of the mystery meat.

“What’s the difference?” asks Lance. 

“More meat, less grain is the gist of it. Galrans do best on a high protein diet. Apparently a year in the desert eating nothing but ramen and a lifetime of having a normal human diet is the reason I'm so short,” says Keith.

“You aren't that short,” says Lance, looking at him quizzically. “It just seems that way because you spend so much time around Shiro and I’m pretty sure he's some kind of giant.”

“I may only be slightly below average for a human, but by Galra standards I'm tiny. The Half-Galra specialist thought my height was a typo and sent back for clarification. Now I have an appointment to go see her in person next week.” 

“Should I be worried?” asks Lance. 

“Not yet, I'll let you know if that changes. I’m just trying to get through my list of things I need to get done in case I end up with additional restrictions. I thought I would have more time,” says Keith as he finishes off his lunch. 

“What else is on the list?” asks Lance. 

“Other than the ring, I need to buy baby supplies and work on getting her room set up. Right now she has a crib and a stuffed lion, and I don't think that's going to cut it.”

“I can help with that. We can get started today since we’re already here, or if you need a break we can go back to the ship and make another trip out later this week,” says Lance. 

“I think I’ll be okay to keep going. Sitting down to eat helped a lot,” says Keith as he slowly stands and stretches. 

They take their time walking to the store that sells baby supplies (at least according to their best guess at translating the sign). Keith is getting increasingly uneasy as they walk down each aisle. “I...I don't know what most of this stuff is for,” says Keith, looking utterly defeated. 

“I don't think it's for humans?” says Lance, looking uncertain. 

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” says Keith, defeat now morphing into panic. 

“Whoa, calm down. Look, these diapers have a hole for a tail, and that onesie over there has four arm holes. You're going to do fine, we’re just in the wrong store,” says Lance, placing a hand on Keith shoulder to try to calm him down.

“I've never even held a baby before,” says Keith, dropping his head. 

“Really? Not even once?” asks Lance, sounding surprised. “Nevermind, we can fix that. Let's get back to Red.”

They abandon their empty cart and return to the red lion, which still has a bit of a crowd gathered, but it dissipates as soon as they're inside and the lion rises to its feet. Lance opens a communication line with his brother Marco. “Hey did you have any plans tonight? I need a practice baby.” 

Marco’s shoulders slump “Lance, what did you do? Have you told mom?” he asks.

Lance turns red and raises his hands up defensively “What? No! Not for me! I just found out Keith has never held a baby before so I was going to introduce him to Mateo,” Lance practically shouts. Keith has to cover his mouth to not laugh at the misunderstanding. 

Marco looks visibly relieved. “If you’re volunteering to babysit, you could have just said that. I am sure Alicia would like an evening out, it’s been a while since we’ve gone somewhere just the two of us.” 

“It’ll probably take us about an hour to get there, I'll see you soon,” says Lance as he disconnects the call. He then opens a communication line with Romelle.

“Ready to come back?” she asks. 

“Not quite, I was wondering if you could open a wormhole to us, and then another from the Atlas to Earth,” says Lance. 

“I can do that. Did you remember my surprise?” asks Romelle. Lance digs down in his bag and pulls out the plush blue lion. “Perfect, the blue one is my favorite,” she says, as the first wormhole opens up in the sky. 

Keith leans into the frame “Hey, Romelle? Tell Shiro when you see him that I might be back late tonight.” 

“Okay, I'll let him know. Have fun on Earth,” she says as the second wormhole opens and she disconnects the line. 

They park the lion in an open patch of desert. “My brother’s house doesn't have space for lion parking, so we’ll need to take the car from here,” says Lance. 

They walk up to a nearby house. “Nobody is staying here right now, Allura and Hunk are both off planet, and Pidge usually stays with her family when nobody else is on Earth,” says Lance as he opens the door. “My car is in the garage” he adds, grabbing a set of keys off of a hook near the door and leading the way to the garage. 

“I've never actually been here before,” says Keith, glancing around the house. 

“We just got it a few months ago. It was weird living with family again after being on our own for so long, and Allura was still spending her time on earth in a garrison dormitory. It was time for our own place,” says Lance. 

“The blue one is mine” says Lance before climbing into the driver's seat of a small two door car. There's a yellow SUV that Keith guesses must belong to Hunk on the other side of the garage. Keith walks around the car and sits in the passenger seat. The drive into town is short, maybe 15 minutes. They pull into the driveway and Lance knocks on the door.

Marco opens the door and welcomes them inside. “Alicia is almost ready, We should be back by 10. Bottles are in the fridge. Try to have him in bed by 8,” he says, handing the baby over to Lance who reaches for him happily. 

“Hi there, you're getting so big,” he says in an obnoxious baby talk voice. 

Alicia steps out of the bedroom and walks over to the door to grab her shoes. “Don't forget, the emergency contact list is on the fridge, and you can call us if you run into any problems.” 

Marco and Alicia both walk up to Lance and give Mateo a kiss on the head before heading out the door. 

Lance waves goodbye and turns to Keith. “He’s about 6 months old, so a lot different than a newborn, but newborns are easy. All they do is eat, sleep and poop.” 

Keith casts an apprehensive look towards the baby “Okay, what am I supposed to do?” he asks.

“First, sit down.” says Lance. Keith obeys and takes a seat in the recliner. 

“Okay, I'm going to hand him to you. He's wiggly, so watch out for that,” says Lance as he places the baby in Keith’s lap. 

Keith wraps an arm around the baby to hold him in place and then freezes perfectly still. Mateo looks up to see who's holding him and his lower lip quivers for a moment before he bursts into tears. “What did I do?” asks Keith, sounding alarmed. 

“Nothing, he just doesn't know you yet,” says Lance, reaching to take the baby from Keith.   
“I'll hold him for a while until he gets used to you.” 

Keith slumps in his seat. “I'm bad at this,” he says. 

“Look, he’s already over it,” Lance says, gesturing to Mateo who is still eyeing Keith suspiciously, but has stopped crying. “And you aren't bad at this. If you were going to be bad at this you wouldn't care so much,” Keith still looks uncertain. “I think he might be cranky because he’s hungry. Keep an eye on him while I go warm up a bottle. Just make sure he doesn't roll away or put anything in his mouth.”

Keith looks down at Mateo whose eyes are following Lance out of the room. As Lance turns the corner, Mateo’s face scrunches up like he's going to cry again. Keith grabs a stuffed elephant in an attempt to distract him and it seems to work.

Lance emerges from the kitchen a few minutes later holding a bottle. “Here you go, everybody always likes the guy with the food,” he says, handing the bottle to Keith. This gets Mateo’s interest and he reaches two chubby hands towards Keith.

Things go pretty smoothly from there until bedtime. “Ok, now you need to change him into pajamas and a fresh diaper, then rock him to sleep. I’ll be here if you need back up,” says Lance. Keith rolls his eyes, how hard can it be?

Keith lays Mateo down on the changing table and carefully removes his onesie and diaper. As soon as Mateo is exposed to the air he pees, the stream arcing and soaking Keith’s shirt. Mateo giggles and Lance bursts into raucous laughter at the sight of Keith’s offended sputtering. 

“I may have something you can change into in my trunk. I'll go check,” says Lance, between peals of laughter. Keith puts a clean diaper on Mateo and wrestles him into a sleeper. 

Lance returns a few minutes later, smiling sheepishly and presenting Keith with a pale pink shirt. “It’s Allura’s, she buys special shapeshifter clothes. I know it isn't exactly your style, but at least it isn't soaked in piss.” 

Keith takes a moment to weigh his options. He could go shirtless, but it's getting cold outside and that would mean exposing his bump in all its stretchmarked glory. Going through the rest of the evening soaked in pee doesn't seem like a good option either. Girly pink shirt it is. Dammit.

He excuses himself to the bathroom to change and wash up. To his credit, Lance does a passable job at hiding his amusement when Keith emerges a few minutes later in Allura’s shirt. 

“If it makes you feel any better, it’s going to be a lot harder for a girl to get an arc like that if she decides to pee on you,” says Lance, patting Keith on the shoulder. 

“Thanks, that helps a little bit,” says Keith, glaring down at his stomach as if to tell his baby that she better not plan to pee on him.

“Okay, now you just rock him until he falls asleep, then carefully move him to the crib,” says Lance, handing Mateo over to Keith and gesturing toward the rocking chair in the corner.

Sitting down in the rocking chair reminds Keith just how tired he is, this has been a very long day. As Mateo drifts off to sleep, Keith feels himself doing the same.

Lance takes this opportunity to pull out his phone and call Shiro. “Is everything okay?” asks Shiro. 

“Everything's fine, I just thought you might want to see this,” says Lance, turning the phone toward Keith, who is fast asleep leaning back in the rocking chair with Mateo cradled in his arms.

“Where did he get a baby, and what's with the shirt?” asks Shiro. 

“The baby is my nephew, we borrowed him for practice. The shirt is Allura’s. He got peed on and it was the best I could find,” says Lance. 

 

Shiro raises his eyebrows “...peed on?” 

“It's fine, you don't have to worry about it as much with girls,” says Lance dismissively. 

“He was really worried because he's never spent any time around babies, but he’s doing a good job for a first time babysitter. I'm pretty sure my first time babysitting I ended up panicking and calling my mom. I was only about 13, but still.”

“I'm glad it’s going well,” says Shiro. “At least now one of us will have some experience.” 

“I better get Mateo into his crib, we should be back in a couple hours,” says Lance. 

“Okay, thanks for looking out for him,” says Shiro. 

“Any time, we're a team.” says Lance as he ends the call. 

Lance moves across the room and lifts Mateo out of Keith’s arms and gently places him in the crib, then goes to the living room to start cleaning up from earlier, opting to let Keith sleep for now.

The next two hours pass peacefully, Marco and Alicia are due back any minute, so Lance quietly enters the nursery and wakes Keith up. Keith blinks a few times to get his bearings and sneaks one final peek into the crib before leaving the nursery to gather his things and wait on Marco and Alicia.

A few minutes later the door clicks open and Marco and Alicia enter the living room. “Was he any trouble?” asks Alicia. 

“No trouble at all, he’s asleep in his bed,” says Lance. 

“How was it, are you feeling any more prepared now than you were a few hours ago?” asks Marco, turning to Keith. 

“I feel a little better now, I have a lot of adjusting to do still. Do you have any advice?” asks Keith. 

“Go on one last vacation, it'll be the last kid-free vacation you get in a long time, and take lots of naps now while you can. You'll really miss sleep for the first few months. Mateo sleeps through the night most nights now, but for a while Alicia and I were both getting up multiple times a night,” says Marco. 

“I can't even remember the last time I made it through a full day without falling asleep,” says Keith. Despite his nap in the rocking chair he still looks exhausted.

Lance looks over to Keith then says “It's getting late, I better take him home,” Lance hugs his brother and sister-in-law and then walks with Keith out to his car.

The drive back to Lance’s house is silent as Keith contemplates the future. He rests both hands on his stomach, feeling kicks that are far stronger than the little fluttery movements he had gotten used to a few weeks ago. He's still lost in thought as Lance contacts Romelle for a wormhole back to the Atlas. As they approach the hangar of the ship, Lance nudges Keith to get his attention. “Hey, is everything okay?” he asks. 

“Yeah, just thinking through some of the logistics. I’m going to need to get back to my job once she's born,” says Keith.

“You don’t have to do it alone. If you can’t take her with you, leave her with Shiro. He can put her in a carrier and do his job just fine unless there's a battle happening. You can also always call me, and I’m sure the others would also be willing to help out if you asked,” says Lance as he steers the lion into its spot in the hangar. 

“Thank you for that, and for everything today. I’m going to go find Shiro and give him his ring,” says Keith as he exits the lion. 

“When are you getting married, anyway?” asks Lance.

“We haven’t set a date, I don’t want to get married while I am still huge, and I’m not sure what my recovery is going to look like once she's born, there is a pretty wide range of normal even assuming everything goes well. Right now the plan is to wait until after she's born to start planning so we know what sort of time frame we're looking at.” says Keith. 

“Wedding planning with a baby huh. Well, good luck,” says Lance. Keith cringes, Lance might have a point.

Keith walks back to the captain’s quarters as the ache in his back returns with a vengeance. Shiro should be home by now, and if not it won’t be long. The smell of bacon cooking hits him as he opens the door. Shiro must be making dinner. 

Until a couple weeks ago macaroni and cheese was the only thing he knew how to cook, but lately he's been trying to branch out. Most nights they just grab whatever the cafeteria is serving that day, but with Keith’s new specialized high protein diet, Shiro has been making an effort to at least learn how to cook meat and eggs.

Shiro peeks his head out of their small kitchen. “You haven’t already eaten have you? It was pasta night in the cafeteria, so I thought bacon and eggs might be better.” 

“No, I had a late lunch, then I spent a few hours on Earth with Lance,” says Keith as he changes out of his jeans and borrowed shirt and tosses them as well as his own pee soaked shirt into the laundry chute. 

Keith puts on his pajamas and puts Shiro’s ring in his shirt pocket then sits at the table as Shiro brings two plates out of the kitchen piled high with bacon, eggs, and burnt toast. Two out of three isn’t bad.

Keith sits the blackened toast to the side as he digs into his bacon and eggs. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the food was in front of him. “Let’s go somewhere this weekend,” says Keith. 

“What did you have in mind?” asks Shiro. 

“Somewhere private. A final vacation before I get confined to our room. I just want to spend some time alone with you,” says Keith, reaching across the table and grabbing Shiro’s left hand. 

Shiro smiles “Hopefully it won’t come to that, but just in case I think I may have a place in mind.” 

Keith pulls the ring out of his shirt pocket and slides it onto Shiro’s finger. “Now we match, or we will once my hands aren’t swollen anyway,” he says. 

Shiro stands up from the table and places his hand on Keith’s cheek before leaning in for a kiss. “It’s perfect. I can’t wait to be married to you,” he says. 

“Then let’s not wait. We should go to the courthouse, or Space Vegas. We can save the ceremony for later if you want to have one,” says Keith. 

Shiro grins “Let's do it this weekend,” he says. 

“Sounds perfect,” says Keith.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might have noticed the chapter count went up, I had to split a couple of planned chapters into multiple parts due to length. Believe it or not, this chapter is my longest so far and in my original outline this is only about half of what was supposed to happen in this chapter.
> 
> Also, lots of porn in this one, and no, I do not have anything to say for myself.

Keith finishes packing his bag for the three day trip while Shiro makes last minute arrangements with the crew. As soon as Shiro returns they’ll be leaving. Keith still isn't sure exactly where they’re going, but Shiro promises he will love it. 

Shiro opens the door and steps back into the room. “Are you all packed?” he asks. 

“Ready when you are,” says Keith as he zips the bag closed.

Shiro picks up both bags and walks with Keith towards the small pod they have reserved for their trip. They want privacy for this, and the black lion might be too conspicuous.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Keith asks as he settles into the copilot’s seat. 

“The original plan was to swing by a courthouse on Earth, then rent a cabin somewhere away from everything, but then Coran mentioned a planet with a bonding tradition that sounded far better than waiting in line to file some paperwork, so we’re going there instead. I made the final arrangements this morning while you were packing. I didn’t want to tell you in case I couldn’t work it out.”

“Is it a planet we have visited before? What is the tradition?” asks Keith. 

“Leoros, we were there once to bring them into the coalition and offer aid after a hurricane destroyed one of their port towns, but we aren't going to be anywhere near the port today. Their tradition is for the couple to spend three days and nights together in the woods. Normally that would mean camping, but I know you probably don’t want to sleep on the ground, so we’ll be spending our three days in a cabin. That was the delay this morning, I had to make sure there was one available.”

“So basically a combination wedding and honeymoon?” asks Keith. 

Shiro nods “Coran said that back when he was young, arranged marriage was common on some planets and this would often be the first time a couple met. The three day trial period was meant to give people with a bad match a way out that their family had to accept. Nowadays it’s mostly just for fun before everything becomes official. It’s become a common destination for couples from all over the universe.”

Shiro lands the pod in a clearing near a small unassuming brick building. They both exit the pod and walk through the door of the building hand in hand. A bird-like woman with brilliant blue and green plumage greets them from behind the desk and asks them to sit down. “My name is Peara, I’ll be here if there is anything you need during your stay, but first I have to ask a few questions just to get all of your paperwork in order. First things first, What are your planets of citizenship, so I can make sure I have the right forms available in my database.” 

“We’re both from Earth, but Keith also has dual citizenship in New Daibazaal,” says Shiro. 

Peara nods, “Both are fairly new entries, but that shouldn’t be a problem.” 

They go through the standard questions on the Earth marriage license application. They aren’t related, neither of them is already married, neither is there against their will, both are over 18. No issues there. The license for New Daibazaal is similar, adding the additional requirement that they intend to have children. Keith can’t help but laugh at that one. A lot of the legal structure from New Daibazaal is left over from the time before Zarkon’s defeat. Kolivan and his council have been working through it piece by piece, but it makes sense that bringing their marriage licences up to modern standards wasn’t a huge priority compared to some of the larger issues in the Galra legal code.

Peara finishes up the last of the licensing process and asks for their signatures. She then sticks them in a folder and moves it to the corner of her desk. “I will submit these to your home planets at the end of the third day. At any point before that if you change your mind, just give me a call or stop by here and they will go straight into the shredder.”

“We won’t be changing our minds.” says Keith as he grabs Shiro’s hand. 

“Most couples don’t, but it’s good to know your options just in case,” says Peara with a smile. “One final question, are you going to need one of our priestesses to stop by on your third day? I suspect you won’t, but I have to ask.” 

“What’s the priestess for?” asks Keith. 

“Leorosians are unable to reproduce until properly pair bonded by a priestess. It’s typically done at the end of the pair bonding period, although some choose to delay it indefinitely. There are a few other species throughout the universe with the same requirement, but I don’t believe yours is among them,” she says, as her eyes flick downward. At six months pregnant the swell of Keith’s abdomen is pretty hard to miss. 

“No, that certainly isn’t a problem for us,” says Shiro with a laugh, reaching over to place his hand on Keith’s stomach affectionately.

“Your cabin is about a mile down the trail, it should be stocked with everything you need to make it through the next three days, but if you need anything else don’t hesitate to call. It’s very easy to find if you would like to walk there, or I can give you a ride,” she says. 

Shiro glances over to Keith who is standing up from his chair with one hand on his back. “A ride would be great.”

The trip to the cabin is quick, with Peara making sure to show them the emergency communication system since many personal devices don’t get a very strong signal in the forest. After she leaves, Shiro and Keith explore the cabin. 

There’s a small kitchen in one corner, with cabinets filled with a variety of foods and cooking supplies. Most of the labels aren’t in english, but there is a translator device sitting on the counter. There’s a small table with only two chairs with a candle and lighter sitting at the center.

The large bed is piled high with fluffy pillows and blankets. Opening a closet door towards the back of the room reveals a variety of two player games as well as a few extra pillows and blankets.

Inside the bathroom is an enormous tub, long enough for both of them to stretch out, and deep enough for the water to come just above Keith’s shoulders when sitting. 

Shiro sits their bags down on the floor next to the bed and changes into more comfortable clothes before flopping down face first on top of the covers. “What time did you get up this morning?” asks Keith, settling in beside him. 

“Way too early,” says Shiro, muffled by the pillow. 

Keith slides his hand down Shiro’s back until it comes to rest on his ass. He gives a slight squeeze and whispers in Shiro’s ear. “So I guess you’re too tired for what I had planned?” 

Shiro perks his head up and looks in Keith’s direction “I’m never too tired for you.” 

Keith laughs as he slides his hand under the waistband of Shiro’s gray sweatpants. “Can I get that in writing?”

“You know what I mean,” says Shiro as he rolls onto his side and pulls Keith closer. Keith closes the gap and slots his mouth against Shiro’s in a slow kiss. Shiro moves his arm up Keith’s side, tracing his jaw with his hand and eventually settling in his hair. 

There’s no need to rush, so they take their time. Keith slots his thigh between Shiro’s legs and his hands travel south until they are back at home grasping Shiro’s ass. “Have I ever told you how great your ass is?” asks Keith, squeezing again for good measure and leaving a trail of kisses down his neck before stopping to suck a mark on his collarbone. 

Shiro grins “Many times. I like yours too.”

Keith’s hands wander back up to the waistband of Shiro’s pants and he slips one inside and brings the other around to the front to feel the tent that has formed in Shiro’s sweats. “You know what those grey sweatpants do to me, I think you do it on purpose,” says Keith as he slides further down the bed to mouth at the wet spot that is beginning to form. 

Shiro’s hand reaches down and cards through Keith’s hair. “Don't tease,” he says as he uses all of his self control not to buck up. 

“I’m just showing my appreciation for the finer things in life. Your dick in gray sweatpants is one of the finest things I can think of,” says Keith, batting his eyelashes in a show of faux innocence as he continues to nuzzle Shiro through his pants.

Keith sits up and slides his hands under Shiro’s shirt and along his abs before settling briefly on his pecs and sliding the shirt up over Shiro’s head. Shiro grins at having one less article of clothing between them and sits up to pull Keith’s shirt off as well. Keith’s face turns red as he tries to fight the urge to cover himself. Over the past few weeks his stomach has become marred with angry looking red stretch marks and Keith hates them. He never considered himself particularly vain, but this feels like a step too far and no amount of lotion seems to be making a difference.

Shiro’s smile gets wider as he wraps his floating hand behind Keith to pull him into a close embrace, and uses his left hand to caress the bump. He sinks down between Keith’s legs as Keith sits up in the bed and places kisses on each of the stretch marks “Are you sure these don't hurt?” he asks, looking up with his face resting on the bump. 

“It itches sometimes, but it doesn't hurt,” says Keith as he runs his fingers through Shiro’s hair. 

Shiro lays back down, pulling Keith on top of him. Keith straddles his hips and grinds against Shiro’s erection with his own, earning him a sigh of pleasure from Shiro. “So when are we going to take our pants off,” groans Shiro as Keith continues to grind against him. 

“I'm just enjoying my favorite view: you laying down underneath me with nothing on but a pair of gray sweatpants.”

“What is it with you and the sweat pants?” laughs Shiro. 

“When you wear them I can see your dick print,” says Keith with a shrug. 

Shiro covers his face with his hands “I work out in these,” he groans. 

“Everyone knows you’re mine,” says Keith before leaning forward to suck a mark high on Shiro’s neck as if to prove a point. “Have you never noticed that since we got together, we end up having sex almost every time you wear them? Long before that it was prime spank bank material. I am pretty sure the first day I saw you working out in those pants was the day I first realized I was gay.”

“That’s how I feel about you in your Blade of Marmora suit, you look just like one of the space ninjas I used to fantasize about as a kid,” says Shiro. 

“Space ninjas, huh? If I had known that I would have packed it,” says Keith with a grin. “If I can even still get it on… it has a good bit of stretch to it, but it doesn't resize like my paladin armor.”

Keith pulls back and shucks his own pants off. Shiro takes the chance to pull off his sweats as well, sighing in relief as his cock bobs free from the soft fabric. 

“Did I say you could take those off?” says Keith, trying to conceal a smile. 

‘You never said I couldn't,” says Shiro, laying back down on the bed. 

Keith rolls his eyes, “Grab the lube, I packed it in my bag.”

“I like it when you get bossy,” says Shiro, tugging Keith down for another kiss as he uses his floating hand to dig blindly around the bag on the floor next to them. 

After a couple minutes the hand triumphantly returns with the lube and Keith snatches it. “Roll over,” he says. Shiro cheerfully obeys. 

Keith kneels between Shiro’s legs and kisses him from his thighs to his lower back, stopping briefly to nibble on each cheek. “I wish I could eat you out,” he says wistfully “but if I can't eat sushi I'm pretty sure I can't eat ass either. It wasn't on the list, but I think it was implied.”

Shiro chokes back a laugh and looks over his shoulder at Keith “We can always make up for lost time later,” Keith uncaps the lube and spreads it over his fingers before spreading Shiro’s cheeks with his other hand. Shiro sucks in a breath as Keith rubs the lube over his hole before slowly sinking in one finger. He slowly moves his finger in and out, stroking along Shiro’s walls as he adjusts to the intrusion. 

Once Keith feels Shiro relax, he slides in his second finger, plunging deeper until he brushes across Shiro’s prostate. Shiro arches back against the fingers and Keith places his hand on his back to steady him “Hey now, be patient. I want to take my time with you today.” 

Shiro groans and sinks back down against the mattress. 

Keith rewards him with another brush against his prostate before starting to twist and scissor his fingers. Shiro is slowly turning to jelly beneath him when he pulls out and re-coats his fingers in lube before thrusting three of them inside. Shiro fights against himself not to push up into it as Keith takes his time working him apart. 

Shiro reaches back to cup Keith’s face with his floating hand. “I love you” he says. 

“I know” says Keith, turning his face towards the hand and kissing the palm. “I love you too.”

Shiro buries his face in the pillow to hide his moan as Keith slides in his fourth finger. “You don't have to be quiet here, you know. There’s nobody on the other side of that wall,” Keith runs a soothing hand up Shiro’s side and comes to a rest on his hip as the four fingers of his other hand slowly twist and thrust, working Shiro open.

“I'm ready. I've been ready,” Shiro chokes out as Keith fingers brush his prostate. 

“I know, I was just waiting for you to say it,” says Keith as he pulls out his fingers coats his cock in the lube. “Can you prop up on your knees? I don't think this angle is going to work.” 

Shiro does as he’s told and Keith takes a moment to admire the view before slowly pushing in, grasping onto Shiro’s hips with both hands for both balance and leverage. Truth be told his stamina isn't what it used to be so he was drawing out the foreplay in the hopes that he could get Shiro close in advance. From the sound Shiro makes as he slides in, he thinks he has achieved that goal.

After a few slow thrusts to get his rhythm going he reaches around with one hand and begins stroking Shiro in time with his thrusts. Keith tries to ignore the twinge in his back as he pounds into Shiro, drawing out sounds that he is sure will replay in his fantasies later. Shiro begins to push back against him meeting his thrusts halfway.

Keith pushes through the ache and speeds up once he can sense that Shiro is on edge below him. It doesn't take long before Shiro is spilling in his hand and Keith is close behind, buried deep in Shiro and holding on for dear life.

Keith collapses onto the bed next to Shiro, wincing slightly and reaching behind himself to rub his aching back. Shiro rolls over to face him and brushes his long hair out of his face before leaning forward to give him one more long slow kiss. “Turn around,” he says.

Keith turns around, it takes some effort to roll over and face away from Shiro, but his effort is rewarded when Shiro takes over rubbing his back. “That was amazing” says Shiro, lifting up Keith’s hair to place a kiss on the nape of his neck. 

“It wore me out.” grumbles Keith, “I could go twice as long before without even breaking a sweat.”

“You don't need to hurt yourself trying to do what you did before. I think that was some of the best sex we’ve had in a long time, and you’ve never once left me unsatisfied,” says Shiro.

“I’m going to go get cleaned up and put some clothes on, then we can take a nap. Do you want me to get you anything while I’m up?” asks Shiro.

“A wet washcloth and some underwear would be nice, thanks Shiro.” says Keith as Shiro stands up from the bed and disappears into the bathroom. He returns a few minutes later wearing a different pair of sweats (black, unfortunately) and a white tank top and reaches out to hand Keith the washcloth and boxer briefs he requested. Keith runs hot, so he rarely sleeps with clothes on.

Once Keith has wiped himself down, Shiro gathers up the washcloth and their dirty clothes and tosses them into the laundry bin before climbing back under the covers and spooning Keith from behind. “I don't know if you got a good look at that tub, but we’re definitely going to have to try it out later,” says Shiro.

“Mhm” says Keith, already starting to fall asleep. Shiro turns the power off on his floating arm and sits it on the nightstand before burrowing back in next to Keith and falling asleep with his arm draped over his waist and his hand cradling his stomach.

\--------------------------

Keith wakes up nearly three hours later to the smell of something cooking. Shiro has the entire kitchen turned upside down and something in a skillet is sizzling over the flames of the stove. 

“What are you making?” asks Keith. 

“I have no idea.” responds Shiro, looking like he is about to pull his own hair out. 

“Did you not use the translator on the labels?” asks Keith. 

“I did, but I just recently started getting the hang of cooking Earth food, and nothing here is from Earth, I checked,” says Shiro.

Keith looks over the disaster in the kitchen “I see that, let me help you,” he says, getting out of bed and putting his tee shirt back on. 

Shiro slumps “I just wanted to take care of you.” 

Keith’s eyes soften “You do take care of me, but foods from foreign planets can be hard if you’ve never seen them before, if you clean up this mess I'll see if I can salvage our lunch.”

Shiro sighs and starts packing things back into the cabinets while Keith examines the contents of the skillet. It looks like a green vegetable that he remembers eating a few times when he was with the blades. The texture is spongy, but the taste reminds him a lot of broccoli, it’s starting to get soggy so he removes it from the pan and sets it to the side. Also in the pan is some kind of red meat, cut up into small cubes that still needs a few minutes to finish cooking. 

Keith walks over to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of a brown spicy sauce that he remembers from some of Hunk’s lessons and adds it to the pan with the meat. He then looks in the freezer and pulls out a bag of pre-cooked yellow noodles. Most planets have some kind of pasta available. This looks like it is made from some kind of vegetable. The taste and texture are much different from any noodles you could get on earth, but the structure is the same. He pops it into the microwave to thaw it out, and returns to the skillet to flip the meat.

The microwave beeps right as the meat is done, and Keith tastes one noodle before declaring it edible and tossing the rest into the skillet along with the meat and green vegetable. He mixes it all together and splits it on to two plates and carries the plates and silverware to the table. 

“How did you do that?” asks Shiro, dumbfounded by the almost normal looking food in front of him. 

“When I lived alone I had to learn how to make edible food out of all kinds of things most people would rather not eat, then my time with the blades introduced me to a lot of the foods commonly eaten by the Galra. I never cooked, but knowing what something is supposed to taste like is a good starting point. Then recently when Hunk was staying on the Atlas he gave me a few lessons,” says Keith, nonchalantly sticking the first bite in his mouth.

The flavor isn't bad. It isn't great either, but it’s food. Not bad for something that was thrown together quickly in an attempt to keep Shiro from burning the cabin down. 

“What do you want to do after this?” asks Shiro. “Would you rather grab something out of the game closet, or check out that monster sized bathtub?”

“We have plenty of time for both, let's see what kind of games we can find first, then soak in the tub after dinner,” says Keith. They finish eating their food and Shiro starts washing the dishes while Keith searches through the game closet with the help of the translating device from the kitchen.

“It looks like most of these games are just ways to get to know each other. There are a lot of different trivia games and questionnaires, they all seem to have a romantic component. There’s also a sex game, but I don't think we have enough limbs,” says Keith, peeking at Shiro around the closet door.

“Just pick one” says Shiro as he dries the last dish. “Maybe not the sex game, I don't think I’m ready for round two this soon after lunch.”

“I don't think those moves are physically possible for us anyway.” says Keith, looking as if he has seen things that cannot be unseen as he walks to the couch holding a small rectangular box. “This one looked the simplest, most of them either had a complicated rule set that might be tough to figure out if the translation isn't perfect, or they expect you to have another couple to compete against.” 

Shiro takes the box and the translator and opens it up. “So how does this game work?” he asks.

“It looks like it isn't really a game, just a bunch of questions about things people should know about each other before committing to being bond mates,” says Keith as he reads the back of the box. 

“Let's get started then, I don't have any intentional secrets from you, but it’s possible there are things we never thought to talk about,” says Shiro as he takes the first card from the box. 

“What are your parents like?” Shiro reads from the card. 

“My dad died when I was nine. I remember he was quiet. Looking back I’m not sure if he kept to himself because that was how he liked it, or if he kept to himself because he didn't want word getting out about me and mom. Mom did her best, and I hope I’m never in the same position she was in when she had to leave,” Keith looks down and rests his hand on his bump. “She has more than made up for it since, but growing up without her was hard. You know her, so there isn't much else to say.”

Shiro nods and places his hand over Keith’s. “I will do everything in my power to make sure you never have to make that choice,” he says. 

“Okay, Shiro. Same question. I don't think I’ve ever heard you talk about your parents,” says Keith. 

“There isn't much to say,” says Shiro with a shrug. “They didn't want me. My mom left me with my grandpa a few days after I was born and he raised me. I am not entirely sure who my dad even is. My grandpa had a couple guesses, but I never felt the need to try to find out.”

“I'm sorry,” says Keith. 

“Don't be,” says Shiro. “I had a good childhood, I think my grandpa was trying to make up for the things he thought he did wrong with mom.” 

Keith pulls a second card out of the box and reads it out loud. “When did you fall in love with me?” 

“Oh, that’s an easy one. I think I started seeing you differently when I woke up in your shack in the desert, but the moment I really fell in love with you was when we were stranded together and you piloted the black lion for the first time to save me. You haven’t stopped saving me since,” says Shiro.

“I meant it when I said I would save you as many times as it takes.” says Keith. “I had a crush on you at the garrison. I’m sure you noticed, because looking back I wasn’t very subtle, but it took until you were declared dead in space for me to realize it was more than just a crush. I threw myself into finding you because I couldn’t imagine going on without you.” 

Shiro holds Keith close and kisses the top of his head as he pulls a third card from the box. “Oh, oh my. Who did you lose your virginity to?”

Keith cringes but answers “James Griffin. I was fifteen and horny and he was the only other gay guy my age I knew.” 

Shiro laughs, “Yeah, I wasn’t completely sure if he was your first, but I knew it happened. Adam walked in on you two one time. He said he left before either of you saw him, but he told me all about it. I think he was traumatized.” 

Keith turns red “I did see him, I just pretended not to because he was already running out and I hoped if I never brought it up then he wouldn’t either. In retrospect, a storage closet might not have been the most secure location.” 

“Hindsight is 20/20” says Shiro. 

“What about you?” asks Keith. “Oh, I’m afraid mine is boring. I was 18, a few months after I started dating Adam. We took it pretty slow, and I never dated anyone before him,” says Shiro. 

“So I’m only your second?” says Keith in confusion. 

“That depends if the clone counts. I do have the memory, but it remains among the more baffling choices the clone made.”

“The clone only counts if you want it to, but now I have to admit I’m curious,” says Keith. 

“Lotor. Only once I think. Right after the Kral Zera,” says Shiro, burying his face in his hands as Keith laughs. “What about you,” asks Shiro. “Am I your second?” 

Keith gets a thoughtful look and starts counting on his fingers as Shiro’s eyebrows go up. “Okay, before you freak out, I want you to know that in the year you were missing, my coping methods might not have been the greatest. Also the Galra have a very casual attitude when it comes to sex, it’s often used as stress relief or for team building, so my time with the blades was very ...adventurous.”

Shiro holds up one hand to stop him “I don’t need the number, I’m just glad you’re mine now.” 

Keith sighs in relief “Good. I’m glad you’re mine too,” He grabs Shiro’s hand and rests it on his bump “I’m also glad this was you. Can you imagine what a disaster it would’ve been if this happened before we went to space? I probably would’ve been forced to be some kind of lab rat once people started to figure it out.” 

Shiro shudders at the thought, picturing a scenario where he has to bust a pregnant teenage Keith out of a lab somewhere.

“I’m glad it was me too,” says Shiro, smiling at the movement he can feel beneath his hand. “She is getting strong.” he says. 

“Ugh, tell me about it,” says Keith leaning back to try to get comfortable. “Sometimes I could swear she is trying to pry my ribcage apart. I can’t believe I still have three more months of this. If she gets much bigger I’m worried she’s just going to pop right out chestburster style.” 

“I’m pretty sure that is a different kind of alien,” says Shiro, sinking down on the couch to rest his head on Keith’s stomach. “You should be nicer to your papa,” he says to the bump. 

Moments like this have been happening a lot since Shiro found out the baby can hear him. Sometimes he reads to her, sometimes he just talks to her to tell her about his day, or how excited he is to meet her. He has the longest one sided conversations with her when he thinks Keith is asleep. It just makes Keith fall in love with him more.

The cards lay abandoned on the coffee table, they didn’t really need them. Shiro gets up to start a fire in the fireplace as the evening air starts to get chilly, then they cuddle on the couch and watch an old movie Keith had saved to his data pad. There are enough leftovers that they don’t need to cook again at dinner time, much to Shiro’s relief. 

After dinner they fill the giant tub in the bathroom with warm water and climb in. Soaking in the deep water feels like heaven on Keith’s aching back. “We need to get one of these,” he says with a sigh, leaning back as far as he can into the water. 

“Where would we put it?” asks Shiro. 

“It’s your ship, I’m sure you could figure something out,” says Keith. 

“It is pretty nice.” says Shiro, scooting behind Keith and pulling him against his chest. Keith sinks back against Shiro as Shiro floats his arm away to grab a cup and a bottle of shampoo and gets to work washing Keith’s hair. It has gotten long, now falling just a couple inches below his shoulders. 

Keith sighs and relaxes into his touch, enjoying the feeling of Shiro’s fingers scrubbing his scalp. As the last of the shampoo is rinsed out, Shiro gathers Keith’s hair in one hand and lifts it up so he can lean forward and kiss the nape of Keith’s neck. 

Keith trades places with Shiro so he can return the favor. Once both of them are sparkling clean, Keith returns to his place leaning back against Shiro’s chest. Shiro circles his arm around Keith and just holds him as they soak comfortably in the warm water. 

Keith turns and straddles Shiro’s lap, bringing his mouth into a slow kiss. “I love you. This is way better than a wedding,” he says. 

“We can always have a ceremony later for everyone else, I’m just happy to be married to you,” says Shiro, wrapping his arm around Keith’s back to hold him in place. 

They hold each other until the water starts to get cold and then reluctantly climb out of the tub to towel off. The fire is still burning bright in the fireplace as they settle in front of it to warm up and dry off. Through the windows they can see that the sun is down and the stars are bright in the sky. Keith sits on the couch as Shiro tosses another log in the fire and then kneels on the floor between his knees.

Keith’s cock gives a twitch of interest as Shiro grins up at him from his position on the floor and slowly unwraps his towel. “Can you scoot to the edge of the couch?” asks Shiro. 

“Yeah, I think so,” says Keith as he scoots forward.

“Are you comfortable?” asks Shiro. 

Keith looks torn for a moment before admitting “No, not really, I need something behind my back if I’m going to sit like this.” 

Shiro plants a kiss on Keith’s thigh then jumps up and walks across the room, returning quickly with a couple of the extra pillows from the closet and using them to help prop Keith up.

“That’s better, thank you,” says Keith, “You always take such good care of me.” he says, reaching down to cup Shiro’s face in his hand. 

Shiro leans into Keith’s hand and turns to kiss his palm before bending down to kiss his way up Keith’s right leg and then back down his left. “I love your legs,” says Shiro before stopping to suck a mark on Keith’s inner thigh. 

Keith runs his fingers through Shiro’s hair as Shiro licks a stripe up the underside of his cock. He relaxes against the pillows as Shiro takes the head into his mouth and swirls his tongue. After a couple minutes he hears the cap of the lube bottle snap open. He hadn’t even noticed Shiro grabbing it. Shiro pulls back for a second to lube up his fingers and slowly slides one into Keith’s entrance. Keith moans as Shiro’s mouth sinks back down on his cock and returns to running his fingers through his hair.

After a few short thrusts Keith feels the tentative press of a second finger and spreads his legs further apart in encouragement. Keith finds Shiro’s floating arm resting next to him on the couch and interlaces his fingers with Shiro’s much larger ones. The addition of the third finger is a surprise and Keith almost comes right there. Shiro must be able to tell because he pulls off of Keith’s cock and resumes his earlier attention to his thighs. 

Once Shiro is satisfied that Keith is ready, he pulls his fingers free and wipes them on his towel. “Would you like to stand up and bend over the arm of the couch, or should we take this to the bed?” asks Shiro. 

“I’ll stand,” says Keith, as Shiro helps him to his feet. Keith bends over the arm of the couch and juts his hips back as far as he can. Shiro steps behind him and lubes up his cock then slowly slides it into Keith. 

Keith pushes back against him until he bottoms out, and then Shiro is leaning over him, kissing the back of his neck and nibbling at his ear as he works up a rhythm. “Enjoy this while you can, Shiro,” says Keith. “After this baby is born, I’m never bottoming again.”

Shiro’s laughs “I’m pretty sure you would miss it just as much as I would. We can ask about birth control at your next appointment, or if it comes down to it I’ll just start wearing a condom,” Shiro picks up speed and wraps his hand around Keith’s cock as he continues to thrust into him. 

Keith throws his head back to sloppily kiss Shiro. It is a bad angle and one of the reasons he usually prefers to have sex with Shiro face to face, but his growing belly has been making that more difficult now that he can’t comfortably lay on his back for more than a few minutes at a time. 

Shiro’s pace picks up again behind him as he feels his own orgasm approaching. He stretches one arm forward to grab the towel that was left behind on the couch and uses it to cover the arm of the couch just in time before making a mess that he would have to clean up later. Shiro grabs ahold of him to support him as his legs turn to jelly and after a couple final thrusts Shiro is finishing deep inside him.

Shiro slips out and Keith turns around to pull him down into a proper kiss before wobbling to the bathroom to get cleaned up. When he returns, Shiro has already gathered their towels and dirty clothes and tossed them into the laundry basket, and is digging through his bag for his pajamas. Keith grabs a pair of underwear out of his bag and slips them on then climbs into bed as Shiro steps into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

When Shiro returns he climbs into the bed and slides over next to Keith to wrap his arms around him. They lay there quietly, enjoying each other’s presence and drift off to sleep.

\--------------------------------------------------------

Keith wakes up to sunlight streaming in through the curtains on the morning after their third night in the cabin. It has been great spending all this time together, but he is ready to go home. He’s less ready for Shiro to go back to work. He’ll miss having him around all the time. Before he opens his eyes he hears Shiro talking softly and feels a hand gently resting on his bump. He keeps his eyes closed so he can listen in a bit longer.

“Your papa and I are married now, it became official this morning. I love him so much, there’s nobody else I would rather spend my life with. I can’t wait for you to join us, I’m so happy to be your dad,” says Shiro quietly, trying not to disturb Keith. 

Keith can’t help but smile and run his fingers through Shiro’s hair. There might be a lot of things relating to this pregnancy that Keith is anxious about, but one thing he does know for certain is that Shiro is going to be a great dad.

Shiro slides back up the bed and gathers Keith into a hug. “It is official, as of about an hour ago we’re officially married. Peara sent us a notification, but you slept through it. Our ride back to the ship will be here in about half a varga. I already packed our things and made some tea. I think we’ve run out of time for breakfast, but it’ll still be early when we get back to the Atlas, so we can grab something there. I wanted to let you sleep for as long as you could.”

“I appreciate it,” says Keith, getting up to brush his teeth and put some clothes on. “I’ve been really tired lately, every moment of sleep helps,” he says. 

Shiro nods, “Making a person is hard work, you should get as much rest as you can,” he says. 

“I sleep better with you next to me.” says Keith. 

“Then I’ll try to be better about getting home at a reasonable hour,” says Shiro, wrapping his arm around Keith and kissing him on top of the head.

Keith grabs Shiro’s hand, admiring the wedding band on his ring finger before kissing his hand and feeling his own ring hanging from a chain around his neck. “How do you think everyone is going to react when they find out we eloped?” he asks.

“If they raise too big a fuss, we can always agree to have a small ceremony later. The only person I’m actually afraid of is your mom,” says Shiro. 

They’re interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up outside. Peara waves to them from the driver’s side and Shiro loads up their bags while Keith takes a final look around the cabin to make sure they haven’t forgotten anything, stopping to grab the charger to his data pad. 

The ride back to their pod is short. Peara hands them their marriage certificate and takes a couple pictures of them before they climb into the pod and head back home to start a new chapter of their life as husbands.


End file.
